FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   >>  
so lost a good deal of time; but at last we struck the right trail and followed it to the woods. We then got down on our hands and knees and continued to keep a sharp eye on the track, and so shadowed it into the brush. Burke was in advance. Unfortunately the animal had stopped to rest; therefore, Burke having his head down, intent upon the track, butted up against the elephant's hind legs before he was aware of his vicinity. Burke instantly arose to his feet, seized the tail, and exclaimed joyfully, "I claim the re--" but got no further, for a single blow of the huge trunk laid the brave fellow's fragments low in death. I fled rearward, and the elephant turned and shadowed me to the edge of the wood, making tremendous speed, and I should inevitably have been lost, but that the remains of the funeral providentially intervened again and diverted his attention. I have just learned that nothing of that funeral is now left; but this is no loss, for there is abundance of material for another. Meantime, the elephant has disappeared again. MULROONEY, Detective. We heard no news except from the diligent and confident detectives scattered about New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Virginia--who were all following fresh and encouraging clues--until shortly after 2 P.M., when this telegram came: BAXTER CENTER, 2.15. Elephant been here, plastered over with circus-bills, any broke up a revival, striking down and damaging many who were on the point of entering upon a better life. Citizens penned him up and established a guard. When Detective Brown and I arrived, some time after, we entered inclosure and proceeded to identify elephant by photograph and description. All masks tallied exactly except one, which we could not see--the boil-scar under armpit. To make sure, Brown crept under to look, and was immediately brained--that is, head crushed and destroyed, though nothing issued from debris. All fled so did elephant, striking right and left with much effect. He escaped, but left bold blood-track from cannon-wounds. Rediscovery certain. He broke southward, through a dense forest. BRENT, Detective. That was the last telegram. At nightfall a fog shut down which was so dense that objects but three feet away
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   >>  



Top keywords:

elephant

 

Detective

 

telegram

 

funeral

 

striking

 

shadowed

 
damaging
 

revival

 

forest

 
southward

penned

 

Citizens

 

entering

 

objects

 
shortly
 

BAXTER

 
plastered
 

Rediscovery

 

Elephant

 

CENTER


nightfall
 

circus

 

armpit

 

escaped

 

encouraging

 
destroyed
 

debris

 

effect

 

immediately

 

brained


crushed

 

entered

 

inclosure

 

proceeded

 

arrived

 
wounds
 

established

 
cannon
 

identify

 

tallied


photograph

 
description
 

issued

 

vicinity

 

intent

 

butted

 
instantly
 

single

 
seized
 
exclaimed