Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 May 1877 — Chased by an Elephant. [ARTICLE]

Chased by an Elephant.

A correspondent of the New York News gives this account of a fright in an English village caused by an enraged elephant escaped from a menagerie. Ayoung man from India recognized the brute as one he had befriended when in that country, at the time while crossing a broken bridge, and he takes advantage of the elephant’s gratitude. A light carriage containing only a lady came dashing over the hill behind the school-houte, while in close pursuit, with terrible trumpeting, rushed a gigantic elephant. The horse cleared himself from the carriage, and as ho did so the lady was thrown insensible upon the grass by the roadside. The school-house door was open, and the affrighted steed sprang through it. Terror-stricken faces thronged the windows; but the elephant was without, and there was no retreat. We could hear the wild snorting of the horse, mingled wi’h the screams of the children, as the elephant, trumpeting forth his rage, with trunk aloft, ran fiercely around the building. “ We must gain the clump of maples in rear of the house,” said Victor. " and try to divert his attention, or he will tear the building to splinters.” Accordingly we ran to the spot designated, and commenced shouting—the ? marled old trees close together being our ortress. Just as we reached the wood, the horse, snorting and rearing, thrnst his head through a window with a prodigious crashing of sash and glass, and out he came. Then the elephant, ignorant of his enemy’s escape, came tearing around between ourselves and the building. Perhaps he suspected what had happened, or it may have been our voices that made him turn and look around him. The moment we had avlew of his ferocious countenance, his small eyes and huge, flapping ears, Victor sprang from cover. /“ ’Tis Mizra Sahib!” he cried. “ Mizra Sahib! Mizra Sahib! come to me! Oh r you rascal! What are you doing here, Mizra Sahib?” Victor did not venture far from the trees, yet his words had their effect. He followed up his advantage with some sentences in Hindostanee. The elephant took a step toward him, then struck off obliquely, as if to walk around us. Then Victor stepped boldly forth and approached him. “ Mizra Sahib, you are an old fool. Come to me.” The great brute came shuffling toward him. “ You have not forgotten the broken bridge, Mizra Sahib ? For the sake of old friendship, give me your hand. We have together made our camp by the Brahmaputra.” The monster extended his trunk and laid it upon Victor’s shoulder. The meeting was really affecting. Victor soon delivered the noble creature to tpe custody of his master, who had hurried to the scene.