Evening star., 1923-11-04

Get up that ladder" Mason came
| forward
The bull-hook circled; a swapping
clacking blow. a gasping cry! Slow.
| ly Mason sank to the straw-coveret
| floor of the car. Brace stood ovel
him, glowering, menacing. Then sud
denly he went to his knees.
/ Hes dead!'
Trumpeting, the elephant moved
| slowly toward the body of his faller
master. Brace leaped quickly to the
, protection Of the shadows. II one
| tremendous hoof could only obliterate
the red mark Of that blow!
! Out of the shadows came Brace, his
weapon brandished high in the air.
"Rajahv s-t
The hook sank deep. The animal
writhed and turned. A great hooi
| struck fesh--and for a second and
third an fourth time. Then Brace
driving the elephant into the rear oi
! the car, stood staring down. The
| mark of the bull-hook, was gone. A
moment later, dripping, scrambline
he clambered from car top to car top
to the Pullman, his voice shrieking
Flag down the train! Rajah's gone
bad-he's killed Masonw
X X
DRAKE shoes gripped and slipped
- and shrieked. Half-dressed mer
tumbled from the Pullmans to race
along the tracks to the bull cars
The CLEAN of the lanterns through
the hastily opened door, displayed
Rajah's big form, half kneeling be-
side the crushed body of his master
his cry echoing again and again.
"All right, bull men! Put down the
run and get that elephant out o.
there before he takes another streak!
Hop to it-Bartwell! Jones! Cas-
sidy! Brace"
They slipped the wide wooden run
way into place and drove the elephant
down to be chained and picketed
Then, while the three other bull men
picked up the crushed body OF Jim
Mason, the menagerie superintendent
asked Brace:
fWhat happened?"
Il don't know, sir. I was max.
ing my way along the top Of the bull
cars when / heard Mr.. Mason shout
ing down here. and a terrible racket
II climbed inside. Rajah trampled
him. drove Rajah back with the
bull hook. but 1t was too late. Mason
told me privately that he always wat
bit afraid Of Rajah."
Funny he never came to me about
it. Still. Mason always tried his best
guess he thought he could handle
him"
THAT was about 1t, SIR"
rHate to see this!" There was a
tone of sorrow in the superintendent's
voice. "Old Rajah was the first ele.
phant this show ever had" His eyes
grew reminiscent. Guess II wouldn',
have been the show It Is today with.
out Rajah. Used to be about the
whole thing-helped unload in the
morning. worked around the lot, made
parade, acted as about all the men.
: agerie we had, went In performance
and then put the show back on the
train At night. But guess he's gone
now. Mason wasn't mistreatins
him?"
Braces eyes cleaned. "Of course
| when I saw him last he was hooking
| him pretty bad; but then, he wa.
+, fighting for his life"
Mason was good man, and Rajsf
| was a good old bull. But guess
| there isn't much chance for him now
, Better watch him pretty close"
! rMe. sir?''f
| "Yeh. You take all your time I,
\ Rajah--see If you can pull him out O.
1t. II 1t was Just q grudge PROPOSE
tion against Mason alone, there's ,
good chance. So"
| "Yes, sir. I understand, sir IL
handle him, all right" Brace spok,
cockily. "As soon as them other mel
get back, we'll run him into the ca
| again and chain him. The storm
seems to be letting up"
! "Hope so.,' The superint tenden
went on. Hop to it,
The train was again on the move
and Brace, back in his bunk in tn
i sleeping cars, stared flxedly at tn,
faceboard Of the berth above hin
Safe! Safe from suspicioni Safe
with q reputation OF fearlessnssa
But the next morning
T>HE door Of the big bull car eli,
i open In the gray Of dawn. ana
man hurried to the shadowy form Of tn
elephant within. He ioosed his chat,
and prodded the beast In the shout
dsE
"All right Ra5ah." he ordered
rect with t."
| The e,apsaDt wheeler grudinr,,.