The Washington herald., 1915-10-10

"Well, we make a start. l go with
the loads. We go along until we have
passed all signs of the city, and my
heart springs up like a little bird.
Here, then, is the country which ]
priced, and it is good to be with those
hearty fellows who drive, and to be
upon the country road, until it comes
to a place where the bridge is no
more,
There have been a circus before
us, so a lady farmer, who comes to
the fence in a strange hat and wishes
to talk, tells us, and although we are
in hurry. we cannot proceed, for it
would not be polite to leave that lady
when she so much wishes to talk.
"Ah. what passion she has for
talking! There is nothing about that
circus we do not hear. Every animal,
what color is ha? Did we think he
was an ugly animal? Every wheel. on
every wagon-everything, until it
comes to the trouble! This trouble is
large. 1t covers her mind right up 1t
pushed the bridge right up. 1t has
stirred the whole country right up,
for, you sec, it is an elephant!
Nov, the circus comes to the
bridge quietly, and all goes we'll until
comes this elephant, and the lady
when she tells us makes her arm like
the trunk of the elephant, and she
waves it about, showing how he sniff,
sniff, fearing that the bridge, is not
built for him. She looks very oddly
in that sunbonnet, with one hand and
two feet on the ground, like an ele-
phant. and the other hand like a
trunk, swinging.
These fellows who drive with me
are good fellows, but each one has to
make remark and walk away snlil-
ing, but, alas! the lady talk straight at
me, SO | must stay. though | would
laugh if l could.
The lady had queer. small voice
for an elephant, and she told it to
me about the wreck. She say, He
smell that ere bridge like it amt good
enough for him. and then them fel-
lows go along and poke him behind
with clothes-poles, and he just trem-
bles his knees like an old man with
rheumatism, but he wasn't no old
man, l tell you, he-h-e-he! says
that lady. No, stree, he want, sir
He put a foot ahead, and the
plank squeaked; he put the other foot
ahead, and everything squeaked; the
just shifted once more, and there
come a crackin'. Then he wrapped
that long nose of his'n around a piece
OF j'ist-a piece of j'ist, sir, such as
three men couldn't lift-and them cir
Gus fellers clim trees, for he tapped
them ears of his'n and he yells,
"Oompahr like the big feller in the
band, and then he did take tucket
out of that structure. Why says she.
and that voice of hers goes up like
a hen, why, he knocked splinters
olean over the top of my house. There
wasn't no particle of bridge remain
ing. He pulled up, and he heaved up,
and he knocked up; and one feller
tried to stop him. He just reached
around with that snaky nose, and he
threw the feller right up the pine tree
yonder, where he couldn't get up or
down.
Then what do you suppose he
did, says she. | told her. Madam. it
is impossible for me, not knowing
much about elephants and their Gus
toms, to predict
"'Well,' she says, he just clim
down one side of that bank and back
the other, spry as cat, -..,, '2e blew
his horn once more, and took up
creek SO fast that he looked like a
gray board fence ten foot high, kind
of wavy underneath. Them circus
fellers hung around trying to find
him, but Lord! There wasn't no find
ing him, so they've offered reward
for anybody that will get him. They
amt got him yet says she. My men
folks is away today hunting that ele-