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lJFICTIONJ ■
VOL. 53—NO. 31_OMAHA. SUNDAY MORNINU, NOVKMMKIt l. l’iTiiT “ nVlTTo-Vm
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TEA CONDEMNED ACSZ%Z
THK long, canvas covered cars
of the World’s Amalgamated
circus rocked and swayed
with the uneven roadbed of a side
line railroad. It was night—a black
night of slashing rain and shriek
ing winds and jagged lightning. In
the dripping, tarpaulin-covered cat
cages the feline jungle beasts
roared and hissed and leaped. Here
and theie along the rocking train
storm coals made their way from
one den to another, carefully list
hook an elephant when he's seared?
Get out of here!"
The other man drew back sul
lenly.
"He broke his chains. Mason. I
had to do something!"
"Vou didn’t have to try to cut
him to pieces. Rajah!"
The command was sharp, yet with
a friendly quaHty. The beady eyes
of the elephant turned in the direc
tion of his master. Slowly Mason
went forward. "Come on. Rajah.
“I’m not going. You're red
lightin' me off this show because
you're jealops o’ me. Mason. I'm
a better anifnal man than you ever
thought o’ being.”
"Get up that ladder. Brace, and
pack up!”
“I’ll not! I’ll—”
"Get up that ladder!” Mason came
forward.
The bull-hook circled; a snapping,
clacking blow, a gasping cry. Slow
ly Mason sank to the straw-covered
floor of the car. Brace sl(tod over
Thr Mide-walling ripped from the incnascrie tout, and, iluim clanking, pk-krt pin*
clattering, Kajali ramp, a trumpeting plunging monster of revenge.
wiling it tlie sideboards for sounds
of battle—the conflict of savage
boasts which turn upon one an
l other with a madness bred of dark
ness and fright.
Ill the horse cars the hostlers
made the rounds of the animalH,
petting them and raafthurlng them.
Hack in the executive Pullmans su
perintendents and managers made
their plans for the next day, plans
for wet lots, for dangerous, rutty
rings and a slippery hippodrome.
The World's Amalgamated now
was in the grip of a midsummer
tempest, and with the next show
stand a hundred miles away. Ev
erywhere about the dripping train
there was discomfort—danger.
Far ahead, in the biggest of the
elephant cars, a great, shadowy
hulk turned and twisted and truni
Tieted as he sought to evade the
uttucks of a “bull hook" In the
luusculur hands of a man who
cursed amt shouted at him. His
chains had parted as he lunged In
fright during an outburst of thun
der; now he- was an unfettered
monster stumbling from one side
of the car to the other. The train
er's voice rose to a scream:
“f let over there, itajah!" he
shouted, and drove the bull hook
deep into the soft flesh liehlnd the
great elephant’s car. "flet over
there, or I'll—”
Then he turned quickly, as a
•wish of rain sent his attention
to nn opened ventilator and the
dripplii;' figure ijnmberlng within.
“That you. Loss?"
"!’•«' Wiit I Hie devil arc you
tijlng to do lo that hull?"
A in o hail dropped Into tho circle
C| I i ' hi. i es blitzing. “Haven't
o in ■ iiiore sense than to
old tsiy!" he shouted. "JSverythlng’H
all right—everything's all right!"
He grasped the brute's trunk and
elung to it. slapping the pachyderm
about the mouth, blows whleh were
only friendly pals to the thick
skinned mammnl. The elephant
squealed—a call of friendship—then
ceased his twisting. Boon he was
only a great, swaying hulk again,
his beady eyes fastened on the man
who, to him* meant friendship and
protection and love. Mason reached
for the stay-chain; then as he turn
ed, he paused.
“I thought I told you to get out
of here," he said ubrupt]y.
"I'm going." Brace moved surlily
toward the ventilator.
"Well, move, then. You've only
got 20 minutes to pack your stuff.
We stop for water at I,nrret«ville."
"My stuff?" The assistant paused
on tli^ ladder, then slowly clamber
ed down again. “Why—why, boss,
you ain't goin' to red-light me?"
"Ain’t I?” Mason dropped the
chain, came forward. Brace stood
with hands shifting along the taped
handle of his heavy bull-hook
“You're through! There ain't a man
on this show can sail Into a cat or
a hull without getting stepped off
for it. You get out of this car and
off this train! You're through!"
"I’ve got a right to my money!"
“Money? Nothing doing! It's cow
ards like you that—” He paused.
"If you’ve got nnthlng coming to
you you’re fined that amount. And
you're red-lighted at the nest stop.
Maybe the next show you go on
you'll—well, aren’t you going?"
"No, I'm riot going!"
Mason doubled hi* flsis.
•lust as vim please. C!ot off or he
put off."
him, glowering, menacing. Then
suddenly he went to Ida knee*.
"He's dead!"
Trumpeting, tho elephant moved
slowly toward the body of hla fallen
master. Brace leaped quickly to
the protection of the shadows. If
one tremendous hoof could only ob
literate tho rod mark of that blow!
out of the shadows came Brace,
his wenis->n brandished hleh in the
air.
"RaJuhJ"
Tlie hook sunk deep. The unimal
writhed and turned. A great hoof
struck flesh—and for a second and
i bird wni fourth time. Then Brace,
driving the elephant Into the rear of
the car. stood staring down. The
mark of the bull hook was gone. A
moment later, dripping, scrambling
tie clambered from car top to oar
top to the Pullmans, his voice
shrieking:
"Klag dowu the train! Uajah’s
gone had—he’s killed Mason!"
Brake shoes gripped and slipped
and shrieked. Half dressed men
tumbled from the Pullmans to race
along the tracks to the bull ears,
i'ho gleam of the lanterns, through
the hastily opened door, displayed
Itajnh's big form, half kneeling be
side tho crushed body of his mas
ter, his cry echoing again and
again.
"All right, bull-men! Put down
the run and get that elephant out o'
there before he tokos another
streak! Hop to It—Bartwell! Jones!
t’assldy! Brace!"
They Slipped the wide wooden
runway Into place, and drove tho
elephant down to be chained and
picketed. Then, while the three
"tier hull men picked up lie
crushed body of Jim Mason, the
menagerie superintendent asked:
“What happened?”
'II don't know, sir. I was milk
ing my wny along the top of tin
bull cars when I heard Mr. Mason
shouting down here, and a terrible
racket. i climbed inside. Rajah
trampled him. I drove Rajah back
with the bull hook, but it was too
late. Mason told me privately that
he was always a bit afraid of Ri
jali.”
“Funny he . never came to me
about it. Still. Mason always tided
his best—guess he thought h*
could handle him.”
“That was about it. sir.”
“Hate to see this!” There was a
tone of sorrow in the superintend
ent's voice. “Old Rajah was tin*
first elephant this show e ver had.”
ills eyes grew reminiscent. “Guess
it wouldn’t have been the show it
is today without Rajah. Used to b«
about tlty whfde thing helped un
load in tft*- morning, worked around
the let, made parade, acted as about
all the menagerie we had, want in
performance, and then put thoslmw
baok on the train at night. Rut 1
g iloss lie’s gone now. Mason wasn't
mist rent log him?"
eyes gleamed. Of oourso,
when 1 saw him last, he was book
Ing him pretty bad; but then, he
was fighting for his Ufa”
"Sura Sorry to see It happen.
Mason was a good man. and Rajah
wan a good old bulL But I guess
there Isn't much chance for him
now. Hotter watch him pretty
close."
"Me. Mr?"
"Teh. You take all your time to
It&Jah- see If you can pull him out
of It. If It wan just a grudge prop
osition against Mason alons, there's
a good chance. Ho—M
"Ten, sir. I understand, sir! I'll
handle hlrn, all right." Brace apoke
cockily. "A# soon ss them other
men got back, we'll run him Into
i he car again and -chain him. The
storm seems to be letting up.”
"Hope so." The superintendent
went on. “Hop to It."
Tho train was again oa the move,
and Brace, back In hie bunk In tbe
sleeping cars, stared ilxodly at the
face-board of the berth above him.
Safe! Safe from suspicion! Safe—
with a reputation of fearlessness.
But the neit morning—
The door of the big bull car slid
open In th« gray of dawn, mul a
inan hurried to the shadowy form
«-f the elephant within. I|.- ).h . I
hie chain a, I prodded the pmst la
the fclmiiHn
‘ •'ll right, ISitjah,’ I • ordered.
"Get With it,'
The elephant wile l.-d grudgingly;
liin eyes rolled, and his trunk be
'■i n to curl slowly upward. A
s it rill trumpet-blast sounded, angry,
theratenlng. Hrn -e moved into the
more op< n space of the car.
Itn.lah! Got around there- and out
of tills car.”
Hut the elephant's foreleg* aero
moving Ilk- the stamping of a child
in a tantrum. Ilis small heady eyes
rolled, showing the j-edrlmrned
whites. Sweat came to the train
ers forehead. Gray lips moved In
a whisper:
"He's next to me."'
Again and again the shrill blast
sounded. Then the trumpeting sud
denly took on a new note, a queru
lous note. The padding of thn
great hoofs ceased. A little squeal
tamo from the elephant, and lie
moved forward as a woolly littln
dog, harking with all his midget
strength, came bounding up the
runway, bounced into the car,
sniffed about the straw, then began
joyously frisking about th. legs of
the elephant. It was Rags, Ma
son's nondescript, little compsriiou
of the circus, ju. released for the
day from the dog wagon and
f arching for his master.
Here and there lie trotte-l bark
log with a surprised • when
M.o-on did not answer. l it. ele
phant sic <-d d<>v t a1 him Hags,
merely an endured thing until this
moment—for an elephant, by ln
Htiuct, hatae a dog—Invariably de
noted the presence at Jim Mason.
Itajab squealed delightedly arid cg
iended hie trunk slowly toward the
little mongrel. Rags leaped and
wagged hia tall
For a long moment they aloud
and sniffed at each other In ani
mal alienee. They appraised each
other and were satisfied with their
llnding*. while In ths blackground
a murderer stood staring at the
strange pair. Brace bent forward
whistling to the mongrel and loss
ing him with soft words and an
extended hand.
Rage bounded and leaped a front
the man, sallying toward him. then
rushing happily to the shelter «C
the elephant’s leg* Ths trainer
straightened, with the knowledgn
that Rajah again was coins. Held
petting ths dog with one hsn^
Brace sought ths doorway of thr
car. and turned.
"Corns on. Rajah r he ordsrsd
and ths elephant obeyed. Thera
was no attitude of yielding. ontF
of tolerance. A ranine friend had
Intervened, that was all.
The dog often scurried about the
circus lot In vain soorch for hia
lousier hut inevitably hr returned
to Rajah. And the elephant ifimt'
In watch for him At night ltruce
toil a stiilic to the i 'll. uf i;i -
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