The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-06-14
My First Elephant.

Some years ago, says traveller, in my
first hunting trip in Africa, had been
tramping about for days through the hot
sands, which 1 seemed to moisten as I
walked; and at last, wearied out, we
camped down for the night close to q
pool.
1 was in the land of dreams, and back
in England, when I was awakened by
one of my Kaffirs, and, sitting up, there
was about the strangest noise of wallow-
ing, spouting and trumpeting 1 had ever
heard. Itwas for all the world as if some
great beast were playing with water, and
kept saying "Pomp |"
Elephants" my boy whispered.
And we lay lstening-I without the
slightest desire to go and attack them in
the dark; and at last allbecoming silent,
L dropped again into that sound sleep
enjoyed by the tired man.
The next morning, on seeking the near
est pool, the first glance convinced us
that our ears had not played us false in
the night, for there, deeply impressed in
the soft mud, lay the giant footprints of
several splendid bulls.
A careful survey round about soon
showed us that they had come down the
valley to the right and, after drinking
and splashing about in all the pools, had
gone ont into the low hills on the left;
so, putting my best spooring Kaffir on
the track, we lost no time in starting in
pursuit.
The troop, as well as could be judged,
consisted of about ten or twelve bulls,
amongst them three or four regular old
teasers, with footprintsnearly two feet in
diameter
After following their spoor about
couple of hours across an easy sort of
country, it led us to some much higher
and more rugged hills, and here they
had ceased to feed and taken to an old
PATH stepping it out at brisk pace in
single file.
After following the spoor for about
another hour along this path, it once
more left it, and struck off again in the
old direction across the hills, and, just
here getting amongst lot of yesterdays
tracks, We had great difficulty in fol-
lowing it; but at length my boy, with
the sagacity and perseverance of a
hound, ferreted it out, and away we went
again.
About eleven o'clock we got into a
patch of very thick, scrubby bush (what
the Kaffirs call "idoro" bush), in deep
kloof between the hills, and here we
went along with great care and caution,
expecting every instant to see the ele-
plants, as L made sure they would not
pass place so favorable for their mid
day siesta; however, they went clean out
of here, and up the steep hill on the
other side. Arrived at the top, we looked
down upon large kloof, inclosed on all
sides with steep hills, and covered with
dense bush, thicker a great deal than
that we had just come through; and as
looked 1 felt sure my friends were
standing sleeping not many hundred
yards off.
AT this instant, glancing to the right
perceived four elephants coming down
the side of the hill little on ahead (my
boy afterward claimed to have headed
these, and turned them back toward the
valley); SO L ran to intercept them.
was just in time, and as they passed
in front of me, at not more than forty
yards distance, in single file, 1 gave
the last one Che having the finest ivory)
a shot in the middle of the shoulder,
but a few inches too high; however, it
oluchelleu LIS speeu coISlueraDly, anu he
left the others. Quickly reloading,
followed, and getting to where the bush
was little more open, shouted behind
him: "Hi, there !-woho, old man ''
and fatal curiosity, or perhaps a wish for
vengeance, inducing him to turn,
planted another four-ounce ball in his
chest. He wheeled round Immediately;
but his strength failing him, only walked
few yards, and stood under a tree;
and, after receiving another bullet
square on the shoulder, gave a fierce
shake of the head, making his huge ears
flap again, and sinking slowly down with
his hind legs doubled out, surrendered
up his tough old spirit-looking for all
the world, though dead, like tame ele-
phant when kneeling for people to as
cend the howdah.