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Wairarapa Standard, Volume II, Issue 61, 29 February 1868, Page 4

Next day, again Down came the rain, Flooding the rivers, and drenching the plain. And they look for the wounded, and sought him in vain ; So, following elephants lesson, they took it Expedient to do what the vulgar call “ hook if But ’tis said that Dame Fortune, though given to flirt, Never wholly deserts those who cling to her skirt. So it happened at last That, her gmmpincss past, And atoning forall her ill-manner'dsinning, She put on her smiles and she smiled her most winning, For she sent an elephant strolling nigh, Who stood in his braggy breeks ten feet high. And boasted the noble girth beside Of twenty-six feet pachydermatous hide. The elephant looked and saw the scouts ; The elephant listened and heard the shouts; The elephant paused and the elephant thought That his company seemed unaccountably

sought; Till the elephant, guessing the state of affairs, Ami finding himself in a mess unawares, Determined that sane one or other he’d crash for it. So blew his loud trumpet and male a great rush for it, And singling out For a twist of his snout, A noisy young Totty careering about, £et off in his chacc At a-dcuce of a pace, While the poor Totty’s liver was white as his face.

Thoucrb Lis courser was fleet, The sound of big feet, And the tramp close and closer his eardrums meet, And his wretched heart beat, And he shook in his seat, “ As he shouted, “ Schiet I Schiet! Almagtig baas Schiet On rushed the courser, and on rushed the beast, And as distance diminished, the terror increased, Save when a small knot— A picked, plucky lot— Stand firm as a mountain, and cool as a grot; The Duke, with bold Cnrrie, I Vlio seems in no hurry, While Bisset the burly. Looks smiling and curly. And cares not a fig for theloudhurly-burly ; Three men who don’t quake at the monster, but prouder Than ever, put faith in their nerves and their powder,' Twenty yards distant! unpleasantly near ! Drops down K.G., O i his bended knee, And let’s fly a shot which goes close to the ear, Ii to the brain, And out of’t again, Almost too suddenly through it for pain : And the mighty beast shakes his ponderous head. When crack ! from cool Carrie, a bullet is sped, Bight through the neck, like a hole that's been bored, And down with a crash comes the forest’s lord! Then two or three gasps, like a steam-en-gine’s blast As it lets off the steam—and the peril is past, And big “ Africanns ’’ has breathed his last. A huge round mass, On +hc tangled grass, Worthy of brute’s dread and certain cf man’s — “ Monstmm, horrendnm, informe, ingens.” But away in the distance another brave crew Went chasing a monster, and bagg'd him too. For his carcase with bullets they riddled through. They were K:C.B,. And Captain G., Mr 8., Mr C., and the Captain T., And “ multis cum aliis,” great P.V. But who killed the elephant mortal can’t learn, As they all of them call it a “joint concern.” ***** Slaughter is over—enough., enough ! Afloat once more, with the engine's puff, The’“ Petrel” steadily clears the Bluff ; And she tosses aside the ocean spray, A:. I buvls along till, at break of day, ijt. Monday she bowls into Simon’s Bay. And at Cape Town next morning the crowds flock in. To look at the tusks, and the trunk and the skin Of the monster dead. With the ponderous head, And the hole which was bored by the Prince’s lead; And the great big feet Whose terrible beat Had made the poor Totty to shake in his seat. And a “ savant ’’ was there, and he showed liis skill By poking away at the wounds, until The “savant ’’ decided and proved it too (To his own satisfaction, “ entre nous)” That though head and neck were both pierced through, The creature was not By any means shot In a way that would shorten his life a jot, But, as he was skinned, he presumed he was dead. Especially seeing, sans body, his head ; And so he opined (But confessed to his mind The surmise afforded no sort of relief,) That the creature insulted had died of grief ! L“Exvoi. The play is all over, the candle’s gone out, Faded the pageant, and Lushed, too, the shout. O’er the blue waves in the mist far away Glides the good ship, and “ fromus ” p’raps for aye. And he, her chief pilot—to hear whom she speeds. How long shall he think of our land and our deeds ? How long shall one scene Of all that have been Improvised to attract him, retain its old sheen ? Will one he recalled in his heart ? One be able To stand uncffaccd npon memory’s table ? IVLo knows? Who shall guess ? As events rattle on All may fade like the light of a star that is gone. But if one single sight •Shall remain fixed and bright In his memc.y’s eye, I would wager I’m right In saying that sight is poor elephant potted, Two halls in his skull, and one through his carotid. A. W. C.