Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1875-12-24

| tooth; or two well-fed rams come thun-
| dering, brow against brow, with a shock
that rattles far and near The Prince was
/ introduced to certain of these combats,
and saw, besides, the curious duel of rhi-
noceroses, where, despite their unweildy
bulk and awkward weapons, there is real
ly almost as much science displayed as
| Capt. Burton has elaborated in his recent
wonderful treatise on sword play, with all
| its deadly mysteries of moulinet and the
like. These cunning behemoths fence
and foil to get the advantage of the telling
thrust under the jaw with their horn, and
over and over again they will close, and
press, and butt one another backward and
forward in clouds of dust, snorting, and
granting, and champing foam, while the
attendants refresh them with copious
chatties of water, neither obtaining the
fatal opportunity By and by one of the
combatants grows weary, allowing his
monstrous iowls to be thrust sideways or
upward; and Immediately, with marvel
Gus celebrity, the successful beast drives his
armed snout under the jaw of his adver-
sary, producing a wound which is &C
knOwledged with frightful squeal and
an inglorious retreat on the part OF the
| vanquished beast.
For the elephant fight proper the con-
tending pairs are carefully trained and
prepared beforehand with stimulating
food and drugs. It was one of the favor
tie pleasures of the unfeeling Roman pop
ulace to watch elephant fights in the am
phitheater. Augustus, who gave the PEG.
pie 43O panthers, and Pompey, who let
loose 600 lions into the arena, were
thought to be outdone by Trajan when he
produced twenty elephants and pitted
them in deadly combat against 600 Getu-
liam captives. That was one elephant to
thirty men; nor would the odds seem dis
proport1onate to those who have witnessed
the Indian hattt6 in his wrath, trumpeting
out blasts of rage and defiance from his
uplifted trunk, Strengthening his tail,
dropping his great UNDERLYING pointed
lip to give fair play to his ivory bayonets,
and his little eyes glazing all the while
like fire-b balls from the shadow of the huge
ears. Yet there are many bouts who will
sit on their necks and push into the
thickest of the fight brutes even as mad
as this-digging at their nape, this side
and that with the anbus or hook, though
hardly more secure than would be the
Captains of two iron-clads coming into
collision, with their eighty-ton cannon
discharging, if they percheG themselves
on the bowsprit ends. But only the best
trained animals would he trusted thus to
respect man amid their widest rage
ordinary fighting elephants cannot be
ridden to the combat; the mahOuts ex-
cite and cheer them, and then slip off
before the encounter begins. When it
does begin, such as can look with pleas
ure on these things behold a colossal
duello. The enormous creatures charge
like mountains rolling together, their
tusks clash and clatter, their huge
feet delve chasIns in the dust
and scatter it in clouds; and they
rear up ON their hind legs and wrestle
for mastery with an agility as astonishing
as their senseless fury. The trunk, ear
and flank are the weak places, as the wild
beast we'll knows; and what with each
keeping his own clear, and seeking to
seize that Of his opponent so that he may
force him aside and drive an ivory sword
tip under the elbow or hook, or wiring Oft
his leathern ear, one and the other pro-
biscis fly about together in the air like
arms of an infurlated windmill. Shrill
signals OF fear or rage, of victory or de-
feat accompany the rounds, for the wrath
full elephant blows his own battle music
continually, and screams with tremendous
anxiety when he is getting the worst OF it.
Presently some advantage is gained, and
blow or dig which would annihilate
anything but Leviathan is dealt, where
upon, ordinarily, the sagac1ous brute who
has fought in vain knows that he is de
feated, and quite declines to stand up to
any needless punishment. He turns tail
and trots off, ungainly and discounted,
covered with dust and blood, and pursued
little while by the victor, who soon,
however, is content to trumpet out an IN
sulting blast and range the arena for
another foe 1t wants considerable skill
at such moment to slip the foot ropes on
the triumphant monster and get him out
of the way; but this is managed by the
adroit mahouts, either by cunning APP
proaches or by bringing in couple of fe-
males. Sometimes weak elephant is
forced to the earth and gored or stamped
so that he dies; but generally "they live
to fight another day." provided that the
tusks have not been fitted with steel
points, which is occasionally practiced.