Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1877-11-22
The Elephant Trap.

II Once there was party OF English hun
r. crs who went ont after elephants. The
wanted to get two or three big ones to tax
ii home alive. after they had shot IA 600
l. many for the ivory in their tusks.
fl These hunters tried ever so many way
4 to catch an elephant alive. but they colil,
I. not do it. Tie monstrOus animals woult
> break the ropes if they tried to tie 'cn
is when they were asleep; if they sent t,m,
), elephant out 10 try to fool the wild one,
:. into following him into camp. they would
n wallop him with their trunks till he WIS
q glad 10 get away. So the hunters finally
, set about building a big trap. the way the
, natives do. who know how to catch
elephants as we'll us you do to catch
mice.
Close by the edge of Il piece of woods
where tie ele, )han;S used TO go to feed. the
hunters went TO work and built close
fence of big posts. about twelve feet high.
sci close together deep in the ground. And
on these they tied bushes cut from the
woods. 50 that it didn't look at all like a
fence. but like close thicket of young
trees. They made a big pen-about as
large as good base ball ground. and on
the side nearest the woods made long. |
narrow, crooked lane. so fixed that no,
even hunter could see ahead where it led !
to as he came into it. Then near the pen
they fixed Il heavy gate, made of logs. and
hung it mp on top. SO that by cutting rope
it would drop into place and close up the
lane
When they had it all done, they dug in
each corner pit something like small
cellar. about eight feet deep. and twelve
feet square, and covered it over carefully
with bushes and leaves. Then they started
out lot OF natives armed with spears and
guns to drive the elephants through the
woods toward the pen. About Il hundred
OF the natives set out, barclcgged and
without hardly any clothes on. so they
could run fast and climb swift; and part
OF them carried torches to help scare the ,
elephants into the right line.
Pretty soon they started up drove of :
eight elephants, and by hallooing and p
shouting and waving their torches, they .
got EN- headed toward the pen. On rush
"a the great fellows after their leader the r.
biggest one of all. with their trunks ill I'D
n the air. their ears laid back and blowing
n a fearful rage.
Well, they made straight for the pen and
seeing what looked like good place to
ilde. they ran into the crooked lane. As
Don as the last one was through. one of
he hunters who was hidden on top of the
cnce. cut the rope with his sword and
Town fell the heavy gate. and the elephants
we're caught like squirrel in box-tr,p.
hey ran around the edges looking for an
pcning. but there wasn't room enough tor .
rabbit to squeeze through anywhere: and
any OF them stopped and tried to push
"ainst the posts. half-dozen sharp spears 9
I the hands of the natives outside would
rive them back sqnealing.
Now for catching them said the head
untcr. And in a minute eight of the
ravcst and smartest of the natives climbed
yer the fence. and dropped on the inside. I
hey were only armed with a short spear.
ne each one picked out big elephant to 8
rive INTO "a corner OF course the mad Is
features went for them lively with trunks
plifted and tusks sticking straight out
he spry indians ran for the corners. leap -,
over the pits. and stood close to the
nee. shaking their spears and making &c.
ces at the elephants and hallooing: Come WI
I'd see us! Who's afraid:" Come they pc,
q. but the minute their feet touched the Pa
ush. down went four of them-each one ". we
a pit.
line gate was opened and the other four. 81:
al the hunters didn't want. went thunder
z out. Or course the elephants in the 80
Is couldn't get out. and they fitted in so
yht they could hardly stir. How to tame
Elm was the next question. How do YOU n
ppose they did that: BY kindness. and n
irving. and whipping-three things that ~
III tame I'm elephant or bad boy. Kind
IS Is the best. but if that won't work. G
y without food helps their senses. The OH ri
nters let them alone for day and night. ietl
d then went to the edge Of the pit and .rig
ered them iood-grass and fruit. But 9 9n.
elephants were mad. and only set no Sc
J. anu struck at the men with their s - =
INKS. The hunters pricked them sharp -.
with their spears. to let them know who
Is master. and left them. -
At the end OF three days they got cooled
wn SO that they would eat. and then the
nters stopped pricking them. and gave
EN- nice food and water. Elephants are
ry knowing. and soon they learned to T
pect food and to know their keeners ties
nj in few days. planks We're put down i ;on
them to climb out on. and after keep in
. them chained for month or two. they gan
re tame enough to take on shipboard. the
nj II you don't believe it. perhaps YOU Z
" see one Of them next summer when
II are in the animal-end of the circus
tent that the folks hurry through so
I. to hear the folly of the clown. and see -
daring of the riders in the ring.