Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1854-08-30
ELEPHANT HUNTING,
Remarkable Adventures,


Remarkable Adventures,
A work entitled "The Rifle aud
Hound in Ceylou," has just appeared in
London, 1t is from the pen Of Mr., S, w,
Baker, and it abounds with details Of
thrilling adventures, Abiding TO an ad.
venture with rogue elephant, one Of the
most feroOlous OF the species, he was
obliged to throw away his heavy gun and
take to his heels;
81 had about three feet start Of him,
and l saw with delight that the ground
was as level and smooth as a lawn there
was no fear Of tripping up, and away l
went at tho fastest pace ! ever ran either
before or since. taking @ look behind mo
TO see how the chase went on. saw the
bullet mark on his forehead, which was
covered with blood his trunk was
stretched to its full length to catch mq,
and wNs now within two feet of my back.
he was gaining on me though was run
ming at tremendous pace. | could not
screw an inch moro of speed out Of my
legs, and kept on, with the brute gain.
ing on mo Mt every stride. lie was with.
in foot Of me, and I had not heard q
shot fired, and not soul had coma to
the rescue. The sudden thought struck
me that my brother could not possibly
overLake the elephant at the pace we
we're going, and | suddenly doubled short
to my left into tho open plain, and back
towards tho guns, The rogue overshot
me. l met my brother close 10 his tail"
But Of all tho adventures related By
Mr.. Bnker, the following is Of the most
thrilling interest. He had discovered in
II large plain, which was covered with
huge lemon grass to height Of ten or
twelve feet, herd Of ten elephants, and
in company with his brother had shot
five Of them, We give the story in bis
own language;
81 had one barrel still loaded. and
was pushing my way through the tan.
gled grass towards tho spot where the
Gve elephants lay together, when sud-
denly heard Wallace shrek out, Look
out, sir Look out, IN elephants COM
ing"
" turned round 10 q moment and
close past Wallace, from the very spot
where the last dead elephant lay, came
Ibe very essence and incarnation Of a
rogue elephant in full charge. His
trunk was thrown high in the air, his ears
were cooked, his tail stood high above his
back stiff as a poker, and screaming ex-
actly like the whistle Of a railway engine,
he rushed upon me through the high
grass with velocity that VAS perfectly
wonderful. His eyes flashed as be came
on, and he had sins gled me out as his VIC
tim
have often been in dangerous posi-
tions, but never felt go totally devoid of
hope as I did in this instance. The tan
gled grass rendered retreat impossible
had only one barrel loaded, and that
was useless, as the appraised trunk protect
ed his forehead. felt myself doomed ;
the few thoughts that rush through men s
minds in such hopeless positions dew fast
through mine, and resolved to wait for
him till he was close upon me before l
fred, hoping that he might lower his
trunk and expose his forehead.
He rushed along at the pace of horse
in full speed in few minutes, as the
grass flew to the right and the left before
him, he was close upon me, but still his
trunk was raised and I would not fire.
One second more, and at this headlong
pace he was within three feet Of me. -
down slashed his trunk with the rapidity
OF whiP-thong, and with q shrill scream
of fury he was upon me.
fred at that instant; but in the Lwink'
ling of on eye, 1 was flying through the
air like ball from bat. At the mo-
ment of firing, had jumped to the left.
but he struck me with his tusk in full
charge upon my right thigh, and hurled
meeight or ten PAGES from him. Thst
very moment he stopped, aud, turning
round, he beat the grass about with his
trunk, and commenced strict search fol
me. 1 heard him advancing close to the
spot where lay, as still as death, know
ing that my last chance lay in conceal
ment. hoard the grass rustling close
to the spot where 1 lay closer and closer
he approached, and he at length beat thu
grass with his trunk several times, exact
y above me. Iheld my breath, momen
tariIy expecting to feel his ponderous foo
upon me. Although I had not felt th'
sensation of fear while had stood oppo
sed to him, felt like what never wisl
to feel again, while he was deliberatel,,