St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-03-06
Elephant Hunting in India.

There stood the two tull-siZed tusk-
ers within easy shooting distance.
One had enormously large tusks, and
stood facing me with his head well up,
so that to reach his brain my bullet
would need to have penetrated quite
two feet of trunk. The other, with
much smaller tusks, stood broadside
on. his head screened by the bamb0os
Resting one knee, and with the muzzle
of the express against the tree, | wait
ed, hoping the monster would lower
his mead, but when he shifted his posi-
tion it was merely to lift his head and
trunk still higher III search of succulent
hamhOOs. Several minutes passed in
this way, during which my nerves re-
covered tn 'mselves. just then the
smaller tuslS,r backed IL couple of steps
and offered me the temple shot. |
deliberately covered him, bearing in
my mind all the coaching had form
erIy received from elephant slayers -
Il line drawn from eye to ear as Il base,
| from the center of which is raised q
! line at right angles and six inches high.
! By Joining the ends of the base with
| this apex II small imaginary triangle is
! formed, within which the bullet must
| be planted. | was in no hurry, felt
quite cool, aud aimed ut the centre OF
! the fatal triangle. Bang went the
rifle. Instantly both elephants reared,
curling their trunks. For few seconds
thus they faced us, then turned and
fled. Either | had no chance of using
them with effect or it did not occur To
me that had second barrel, besides
] In, tho
confess WITS much aStonished at the
| little effect of my first fire. 1t was af-
terward found that the bullet had
above the brain. We could see ne
blood trail. but the track left behind
their impetuous rush was easily fol
lowed. After keeping together fol
several hundred yards they separated
One track was straight, and showed
the beast was rushing headlOug and
smashing down trees and all before it
We took mp this track, rightly think
ing il was that of the wounded animal
It was now $50. For four hours, ant
as fast as we could walk, we followed
the track. when the game was again il
view. The wounded animal left tn,
bamboo iungles, and sought the thick
est covert. We followed. and cam,
on him time after time, but only hi
huge stern presented itself. Findin!
he was followed, he made for TIN
koOmcra. This is a secondary grOwtl
that comes mp after the forest has ono
been cleared for cultivation, and con
sists of thorns, bamboo, and creepers
| Through this tangled mass the ele
phant tore his way, and it was com
/ paratively easy thing to follow in hi
track, but next to impossible to pene
+ trate in any other direction. Whe
the elephant stopped we stopped
r hoping always that shot might h
| obtained. At last he made a longe
: halt than usual. The result of his de
! liberations was clearly determinatio
to he rid of his pursmerS, as he snd
- denly turned round, and faced us a
p thirty Yards. Instinctively | felt h
e meant to charge had changed til
r. express for the smooth bore, which
y better adapted for quick shooting. o
!, came the brute in full career. 1t
e impossible for me to anal we my stat
t of mind at that moment. The uppe
most feeling was not that ! had to XII
- the beast, but that | had to stop I'll
Il charge 1t was we'll l did not thin
of running, for that would have bee
Z fatal. | reserved fire till he SCENE
Y quite near, and then blazed into I'll
. centre of his forehead. The shot mac
! him turn his head for an instant; bl
e to my horror, he still came on, an
= when within five PAGES, he receive
{ my second shot on the right tempt
l. two inches above the eye. | the
turned and fed down the track.
N supreme moments of peril we can oft,
maintain our presence of min
Dt Luckily, it was s0 in this case, and Il
il slipping in OF two fresh cartridges "
10 the work of a few seconds. th'
re- faced round, and to my unspeakab
et relief the infuriated beast was
longer charging. There he lay de;
,, IN his tracks with / ounces of le;
=. lodged III his brain. He had fall'
5. noiselessly, his tusks buried deep
d, the ground. The reaction now set
!. and felt my legs trembling, the rest
I'd OF high nervous tension during t