420 ANOTHER "CLOSE CALL." 



The ball tore its way through the thin sheathing of bone which at that point 

 covers the brain, and extinguished life as effectually as if the animal had been 

 struck by a cannon ball. 



The great beast stood motionless a moment, witH Ins nead partly turned to one 

 side, as though dumb. Then a shudder passed through the enormous mass, and 

 down he went like a falling house, splintering one of his tusks at the base, and 

 emitting his death cry, in one single whinnying snort which was his last. 



" Hello, Dick ! how do you feel ? " called the happy man, running around to the 

 rear of the carcass, and meeting his young friend, who had clambered to his feet, 

 his face as white as a sheet. 



" A little better than when I was a dozen feet in air," was the reply, " but I am 

 pretty well shaken up." 



And then the reaction from his frightful experience made him faint, and he was 

 obliged to lie down on the ground to recover himself. 



Mr. Godkin ran to him, but the boy did not swoon, though he was on the verge 

 of doing so. He quickly rallied, and, with a smile at his own weakness, once more 

 climbed to his feet. 



" It was a narrow escape," he said, and then, recalling the fate of the native, he 

 added: " Poor Jack 1 he was not so fortunate as I." 



The two walked to where the dark figure lay and saw that not a semblance of life 

 was left. The handling he had received was enough to kill a dozen men. 



" We can only give him decent burial," was the remark of Mr. Godkin, as the 

 cwo bent over the inanimate form. 



" How grateful I feel," was the fervent remark of Dick, " that God was again so 

 merciful to me. More than once has He interfered when there seemed no chance 

 of my escape." 



"Did not the elephant injure you at all?" asked his friend, feeling some misgiv- 

 ing at his continued paleness. 



" I think not, though I felt when he first took me off my feet, as though he were 

 crushing me to death, and you see I am all of a tremble." 



" That will soon pass off, though I hope you won't have any more such shakings as 

 that. How did you manage to elude him when he fixed you in position for crushing?" 



" I would have been a fool not to have taken advantage of the single chance he 

 gave me. If he had held me still with his trunk until he got one of his knees on me, 

 that would have been the end, but he released me for an instant, and it was enough." 



" I held my breath," said Mr. Godkin, shuddering at the recollection, " for I 

 thought it was all up with you." 



" So did I, though, as they say, while there's life there's hope, and the slight roll 

 io one side saved me. Before he could locate me again I was on my feet and 

 darted between his legs. Then came your shot, and it was good-by, Mr. Goondah." 



" I never saw a ' rogue ' elephant that was so vicious; he must have had one of his 

 worst spells, and it was intensified by the treatment he received from that herd 

 wrnicr be wished to join whep they were bathing in the pool." 



