The Republican journal., 1877-08-09
Hunting Great Game in Africa
From Travels in Africa. |

| '''iN 't''' tt7'' 'i II 'lN tltl III llN
first hunting "Trip in Africa, | had been
tramplng about for days through the hot
| sands, which seemed to moisten as
walked; and at last, Wealied out. we
c1mpcd down for the night close to a
| pool was in the land Of dreams, and
back in England. when was awakened
by one OF my katirs, and, sitting up.
there was about the strangest noise of
WalloWing, spouting and trumpcting
ever heard. 1t was tor all the world as if
some great beasts We're playing with wa
ter and kept saying ''Pomp"
"Elephants," my boy whispered
And We lay listening, | without the
slightest desire to 60 and attack them in
the dark and at last all becoming silent,
! dropped again into that sound sleep
enjoyed by the tired man.
| Ihc next mornings on seeking the
nearest pool, The first glance convinced
la that our cars had not played Us false
III the night, for there, deeply impressed
III the soft mud. lay the giant footprints
OF several splendid bulls
\ careful survey round about soon
showed lis that they had come down the
valley To the right, and, after drinking
and splashng about in all the pools, had
gone ont into the low hills on the left :
SO, putting my best spootng lat1ir on the
track We lost no time in starting in pllr-
suit
The troop. as well as could be Judged,
| consisted of about ten OF twelve bulls.
among them three or four regular old
teasrrs, with footprints nearly two feet
III diameter.
After following their spoor about a
couple Of hours across a sort OF easy
country, it lead 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 ii brisk pace in
single file
After following the spoor for another
| hour along this path, it once more left it
and struck of again in the old direction
across the hills, and, Just here getting
| among lot Of yesterdays tracks. we
had great difficulty in following it but
ut length my boy with the sagacity and
| perseverance OF a hound, terrctcd it ont,
| and away we went again.
About eleven o'clock we got into a patch
OF very thick, scrIhby (what the Nallirs
call "ldoro" bush,) in deep kloof be-
| tween the hills, and here we went along
with great care and caution, expecting
every instant to see the elephants, as |
made sure they would not pass a place
SO favorable for their midday sesta how
ever, they went clean ont of here, and
up the steep hill on the other side. Ar
rived at the top, we looked down upon a
| large kloot, incloscd on all sides with
steep hills, and covered with dense bush,
! thicker Il great deal than we had lust
come through; and as looked felt sure
my trends were sleeping not many hun
drcd yards off
At this instant glancmg to the right.
| perceived elephants coming down the side
OF hill a little on ahead (my boy after
ward claimed to have headed these, and
turned them back toward the valley) so
! ran to intercept them
was Just in time, and as they passed
III front OF me, not any more than forty
yards distance, in single file, | gave the
last one Che having the finest iyorv) a
shot III the middle of the shoulder, but Il
lew inches too high however it slackened
his speed considerably, and he left the
others. Quickly reloading, | followed,
;lhd getting to where the bush was a lit
Tie more open, shouted behind him: "II,
there Woho, old man " and fatal curiOsi-
tN, or perhaps a wish for vengeance, i'll
duclng hlm to turn, | planted another
four ounce ball in his chest. He wheeled
around Immediately, but strength failed
him. only walked few yards, stood I'M
der 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. slrren-
dered up his tough old spirit looking for
all the world, though dead, like a tame
elephant when kneeling for people to as
cend the hoWdah.
NOT long ago man applied to a car