FOR THE CHILDREN.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 716, 15 January 1910, Page 11

FOR THE CHILDREN.

:'y. : AN; ELEPHANT-HERO.; ■ -V/., ■' .This W; the,"story/of;/.what -a' /brave old'elephantin,.faraway.. Ceylon, India, did one bright morning, "when ;a .deed worthy/of- aherowas; demanded loft him.' Sergeant Smith,.who-was/born in- County Kent, .England, was "ordered, away with his 'regiment/to'lndW .With' Mm- went his 'wife,'a native'of Portsmouth,, England,; and' his little daughter 'Fa'nnie. They were-stationed'for a long time on the island of Ceylon. ■":■ '■■■': . -In':.that land of the -orient a great deiT of .. drudgery. . .is 'exacted from elephants, who 'are' tamed .:into' domestic servitude. But once in awhile the huge

creatures, long-enduring and-long-suffering as: they; are/ will break', away .from- their" thraldom, disdaining the fettors'of civilisation, and .making a great- stampede for liberty intoi their'native .'wilds. ." '":•" ■•;. .Old' Pete was the -loader -ofva herd,of elephants .employed ■' about- Sergeant Smith's new '■homo. /He -was yery : gentle . and intelligent, l and .was often employed in;bringing_back-rebellious .elephants to the-' fold, Tlo' would round 'them/up as a sheep dog drives 'the/ sheep;' and 'keep them'at'their'duty.' .:. .- ::./. / ;.Peto was/an enormous,' 'rough-coated' creature, with small, knowing' eyes;- great ears, which hung down, in-a .significant kind of way, a-vmere.'.wisp /of ia/tail,'. and,an.enormous;trunk) which:he swung about in a■ wonderful manner,-and with' .which,.; had'ho, fully -realised : his , own vast strength, he i. might, have • vanquished the entire .world about.'him. ■' ■-":/

iA great .intimacy sprung ■up 'between. IPete ■ and-: little; Fannie, ■■ the' .daughter':of the English - sergeant .Every morning Pete' knew that: Fannie; would bersure to bring 'him vbut some icoveted. dainty, and'he would 'come .ambling .up to her in,,a.,spciable. way,/and would 'stretch forth his gigantic trunk to, pick- the/ morsels,from: her' tiny,' hand as/daintily, and-as carefully: as /a/connoisseur would handle.a/.bit.ol fragile, costly china.:."/ . Sometimes Panhie.was.treated to-a-ride-on. the; elephant's backj then: it'-was hard /to/, tell which" -.was, / the greater, 1 Jannie's delight as she rode/along, of the pride,of old Pete. as. he went: carefully .picking his way, ! bearing his .'precious, burden .aloft./ !.''••" --■-'';"■''

' Oho ' bright/morning Fannie' was'/out forlanearlystroll. Not far. fronrFannie's (homo,/at the.'foot, of/.the'/hill, ;;ran '■■&■ stream \ over which -was a. narrow'rustic bridge, yiere. it ,was : her delight to linger; looking . down, upon ..the.' great .water-' .lilies/ just /opening; wide/their:.; eyes... to greet .the sun." '■■/ :/'-'■"/':; '.;■■' '.

; Fora/long 'time : that morning Fannie had been looking', down'.at; the;lilies, and: wishing sho/could reach the great, white 1 1 blossoms to gathei' them, /when''' all /at once a low ominous rumble.attracted her 'attention. The noise; rapidly, grewlouder; there 'was the."sound (if-.-ifying,,.gigahtic hoofs,and ■ the mighty., roar.' of .elephants burst like; a flood :of terror..; upon/;the; morning air;.' The" child 'realised' 'that there', was a stampede ;of / elephants,'/ and '{hat the ; herd .was coming; directly,-to-, ward tho .bridge .to-cross the river.■-,■■' <, "Nothing,.in that event, could save her.- - There,was no time:.for flight,' and, .besides, ■; could she; : cross . the bridge,; there was .for-some distance-only . a ; narrow, path.'-with; steep banks. on ; either -side, which .led down, to :,the. deep: gorge bolow. Her heart Jptood. still',,in', her breast, :'and her, blood. congealed \ with fear, ■■as.,the full-truth of hor danger, in all its awfulness, 'flashed, through,,;her -; mind. .She could.not open, her 1 lips to .scream,'.she ;was powerless;to-move.- And;ofi.what ; use,, for.who could come tb.hprrescuo.in-time to .save her?. .No: human, being; in truth. '_ She could now .see;.tho,'elephants jdash-. ■ing. : wildly ..forward,. 'almost'..- upon : , the bridge; ; a''mighty, .terrible; host, ;'and,..in that awful ;mbment,.shp.closed hor blue eyes'.to shut out the,"fearful, sight, .and; to' meet' death with' as.' littlo; knowledge '.as- possible. ~: i l.' ■~:\-----'''-','.';'■'•,,■■'.;■■ ;■. ■'-■". . Then, .in a- moment's flash,, she "felt herself swung'high in'.the. air -by ,'an elephant's trunk, and flung, over his, back,' while 1 the great. creature .galloped on, at. the/head' of 'the;' maddened /herd.'; • She could.'feel, the -mighty-strides ■ of .the elephant'beneath her, as ;the; elephants, thundered' over.;'tho.' bridgo mth'; .their deafpning,'.roar.; She .did.'not, open her eyes;'she' scarcely:drew.breath ; again .until sho . felt, herself'put gently..; down-upon the grassland found herself safely/within tho; precincts of :;hor',own, home/.on the brow of. the "hill. ''■'':■ .'■.'?' X':'.;.;., .Beside, her /stood Pete! "Her own be.lovcd Pete, who, with his small .twinkling eyes and 'his -great heart,-had perceived his littlo : friend's'; danger, and; without', a second's loss of tirue,-<liad rushed to. her rescue.":;.'-' ■" .{ :.' : :" ■■''.:'''.-:'■■ ;; : "' : ":' Pete'had been standing not: very ■- far away from; the' bridge,, swaying .his; trunk gently, to -and.fro, and fighting 'tho troublesome gnats,, with;; ai -. .occasional flap of his mighty ears.when.'he heard the roar of' tho flying■;elephants, .and, saw, tho,thick dust rising from beneath' their, feet., He know; very, well 'what, that ro'arr ing and that' stampede meant,;: for.'..-he had more -than p'neo' bofore ;. been ;tho means -of' bringing; the rehellipus.xreatures back ;.to domestic bondage when they, had■ essayed a dash for /freedom/. ■.- •" Then "he spied his little friend standing upon tho; bridgo, and in a'moment ho realised her danger.■'.' Thoro was only time ■ to place himself at the l head of tho advancing "herd as ; it "• came - dashing wildly up, and to snatch little Fanhio up with his trunk as' they flew along, and then, as soon as ho could break away, to bear, her gontly to the portals of her own homb,\and to lay- her/down as softly as.a.mother..would hush.a. sleeping infant forest. ■•'■ /■ -■■ ".'..""''.'■' :'■ ;' ".;' ' From that day old Poto; was not only tho pet of.the pfSccr's household, but was known as;a'.valiant here, wortiry.; of all respect and admiration throughout tho island of Ceylon.; '"" -,' Tho littlo, Fonnio of those far-off-days' i 6 a gray-haired elderly woman now,.and Pete, .for-the'mo-of-'tho elephant is; long, still trudges about' his usual avocations in-Ceylon..',- :■/-/ - ..'■

■ Women's hearts beat faster'than Ten Danish;children; after bathing in the sea, began to cry." A'gentleina'npassing' asked ..what: was the "matter. "Please sir," .they, replied, I ;"wo. ought.to;.be ten, but we are only nine, one 'must have been drowned." Seeing, that-.there' were 1 ten children,; the gentleman 6aid:"Lie .down' and. pnt -your- noses'.intojth'e sand, and'.then count the holes)". ..They aud found-that their'numbef.'.was complete.' Tho mistake .arose from: the fact that each/child was 60.polite-that.he'or isflo'didinot ioount-himself "ar^horseH.';''