The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1925-06-03

AAy OAC SlADu8 push VI his
W thumb the captain tamped down
the tobacco in the bowl Of his stubby
Drlar pipe. he struck a match. There
was silence among his boy admirers
n the pipe was under full seaway
and drawing properly.
Most Of you boys saw the ele-
plants up in the circus yesterday" The
captain meditated q moment. "But.
boys there Is as much difference be-
tween these Indian elephants which
the Circus owns and a real, live, STAN
peding, battling African elephant as
there is between your grandma's pussy
cat and a live, spittin', wildwOods bob
cat.
There isn't an African elephant In
captivity today That shows ~yOusWhat,
sort Of fighters they are. 50 tt
"Of course. now and then, one Of
them has been trapped. Several times
men have brought them out from the
jungles alive. There was n Ike
that
1--WE had been up the Congo river
on the African west coast Our ship
was an old three-masted schooner.
She had belonged to a mar who liked
fancy trimmings, and her decks and
cabin were cluttered up with carved
woodwork, which may have added to
her guod looks, but did not add any
to her ease Of handling or safety in
= heavy sea.
"We were tramping It. Our cap
tain and owner was one Of those who
think that it's better ia take long risks
and win big, rather than go in for a
safe thing which only stands to show
a small profit.
Ivory vas u present aim, but
there was little Of 1t to be shipped that
year. Therefore it was no more than
natural that the captain should jump
at the chance Of some big money to
be made by taking a bOatlOad of anil
mails across to the States. The of
fer looked good to him. The animals
were finally got aboard and we were
-L.ph nj way.
@You would have laughed and cried
both IL you could have seen that cargo
There was a funny little zebra who
brayed about twenty-five hours out OF
the t~wenty-fOur, and who tried dnl
gently to kick the door Of his stable
or its hinges. Then there was
sick giraffe which tOttered to and frC
on its ridiculous high legs and looked
at you with great brown eyes till YOU
wanted to grab him round the necE
land tell him to perk up and every
thing would be all right. There were
these, and a lot Of Others-includinl
3 real African jungle elephant.
THAT elephant was a caution. Hl
wouldn't eat. He wouldn't sleep
Even though he was loaded down witt
weights and trussed up with heav!
iron chains. not a man Of the ma
tive crew would go near him. Hi
eyes yer red, and his trunk and tail
which were about the only parts O.
him not tied fast-were always swish
; ing angrily back and forth.
For three days we sailed down tn
river. On the evening Of the fourtl
day we sighted salt water and pre-
: pared to head into the open sea. Whel
twilight fell we were perhaps fou
miles from land. A moderately heav.
swell was running. and the captain
himself was on the bridge taking
: last look about. before going below {
$ his dinner.
How that African elephant brok
loose I can't tell. Men who saw hir
through the twilight told confictin
tales. One Of the Iascar deckhsnd
said he grew twice his natural size an
that his red eyes shot green flames on
20 five feet from his head.
"But we ali knew that he was FIRE
By the hubbub and shouting. sbOy
which his wild trumpeting rose thur
derOusly and triumphant.
Wood, canvas. chainL ropes, a
we're rent and pushed aside Out Int
the main deck charged the giant brut
Bis distended ears stood ont stir froi
bis head like huge ~seashells 81
Eyes glOWered He wal stark ma
against the wooden rail- be plunge.
e gave way. lie plunged overboaI
q monstrous. splashing dive. Q
be came. Then he set out swlmnin.
Straight toward the distant shore
went. a. long time afterward we sa'
MIN n the moonlight through OF
iasaes climb up the sandy beach so
stride back again into biz jung