The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-08-10
by FIRST ELEPHANT.
Framing Great Gnnae ia AFRICA.

Hunting Great Game ia Sfrica.
Some years ago, says a traveller, in my
first hunting trip in Africa, [ had been
tramping about for days through the hot
sands, which seemed to moisten as l
walked and at last, wearied out, we
camped down for the night close to a
pool. l was in the land of dreams, and
back in England, when was awakened
by one of my Katfirs, and, sitting up,
there was about the strangest noise OF
wallowing, shouting and trumPeting !
ever heard 1t was for all the world rs
if some great beasts were playing with
the water, and kept saying Pomp !"
"Elephats," my boy whispered.
And we lay listening, 1 without the
slightest desire to go and attack them in
the dark; and at last, all becoming silent,
1 dropped again into that sound sleep
enjoyed by the tired man.
The next morning, on seeking the
nearest 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 seven 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 posls, had
gone out into the low hills on the lett
so, putting my best spooriDg Kafir on
the track, we lost no time in starting in
pursuit.
The troop, as well as coSld be judged,
consisted of about ten OF twelve bulls,
among them three or four regular old
teasers, with footprints nearly two feet
in diameter.
After following their spoor for about
couple of hours across a sort Of easy
country, it led us to some much higher
and more rugged hills, and here they had
ceased to teed 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
cid direction across the hills and, Just
here getting among a lot of yesterdays
tracks, we had great difficulty in follow
ing 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 (what the
Kafirs call 'Tdoro" bush), in a deep
kloof between the hills, and here we went
along with great care and caution, ex-
pecting every instant to see the elephants,
as I made sure they would not pass a
place so favorable for their midday 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 we had just
come through; and as 1 looked l felt
sure my friends were sleeping not many
hundred yards off
At this instant, glanciRg to the right,
l perceived elephants coming down TIE
side of hill little on ahead (my boy
anerward claimed to have headed these,
and turned them back toward the Valley;
50 l ran to intercept them.
1 was just in time, and as they passed
in front of me, not any more than forty
yards distance, in single file, gave the
last one Che having the finest ivory
shot in the middle of the shoulder, but
few inches too high however, it slack
ened his speed considerably, and he left
the Others. Quickly reloading, l fol
lowed, and getting to where the brush
was little more open, shouted behind
him: Hi, there woho, old man ~ and
fatal curiosity, or,perhaps, awish for ven
geance, inducing him to turn, l planted
another four-ounce ball in his chest. He
wheeled around Immediately, but
strength failed him, only walked a few
yards, stood under tree, and after re-
ceiving another bullet square on the
shoulder, gave fierce shake eff 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 elephant when
kneeling for people to ascend the how
dab.