My Friend the Elephant 107 



of the huge and victorious elephant, where he was 

 easily held safe from all harm. While the lion was 

 doubly enraged, he was also cowed ; and in an ex- 

 ceedingly short space of time he was recaptured and 

 returned to his cage. It would be hard to tell who 

 were the most amazed people in that tent. The 

 keepers were distracted, the visitors crazed by fear, 

 while the child and myself were simply incapable of 

 action. But there was one creature as calm, as col- 

 lected, as clear-headed as any mortal man has ever 

 been under any trying circumstance, and that was 

 my old and doubly dear friend Jumbo. 



I must pass other interesting incidents and come 

 to a tragic and never-to-be-forgotten night in my 

 life. I was in Hamilton, Ontario ; it happened to 

 be on the same day that the great circus arrived in 

 the town. The day had been spent quietly, and I 

 had prepared to take the train that left toward mid- 

 night. Suddenly it occurred to me that I had not 

 seen Jumbo, and that I would have an opportunity 

 to do so at his car which was in the railroad near 

 the station. So I drove to the station early, secured 

 my tickets and baggage checks, and then strolled out 



