River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-03-13
GREAT SPORT.
Shooting in the wnds of India

Elephant Shooting in the wnds Of India.
London Field.
There stood the two full-sized tusker,
within shooting distance. One had
enormously large tusks, and stood fac
ing me with his head well up, so that t.
reach his brain my bullet would need
to have penetrated quite two feet OF
trunk The other, with small tusks
stood broadside on. his head screened
bv the banboos. Resting one knea
and with the muzzle of the express
against the tree, / waited, hoping the
monster would lower his head, but
when he shifted his position it was
merely to lift his head and trunk still
higher in the search OF succulent bam-
boos. Several minutes passed in this
way, during which my nerves recovered
themselves.
just then the smaller tusker backed
couple of steps and offered me the
temple shot / deliberately covered
him, bearing in my mind all the coach
ing l had formerly received from ele-
phant slavers-a line drawn from ear to
ear as q base, from the center of which
is raised line at right angles and six
inches high. By joining the ends OF
the base with this apex small imagin
ary triangle is formed, within which the
bullet must be planted ] was in nc
hurry, felt quite cool, and aimed at the
center 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 fed.
Either | had no chance of using them
with effect. or it did not occur to me
that ! had second barrel besides a
spare gun resting on the tree
| confess [ was much astonished at
the little effect of my first fire. 1t was
aftcrward found that the bullet had bur
ried itself in a mass of bone just above
the brain. We could see no blood trail,
but the track left behind their impetu-
Gus rush was easily followed After
| keeping together for several hundred
| yards they separated. One track was
| straight and showed the beast was rush.
ing headlong and smashing down trees
and all before it, We took up this track,
rightly thinking it was thatof the woun-
| dod animal 1t was now $50 For
four hours, and as fast as we could walk,
we followed the track, when the game
was in view.
The wounded animal left the bamboo
! iungles. and sought the thickest cover.
| We followed, and came on him time
after time, but only his huge stern pre-
sented itself Finding he was followed,
he made for the koomera. This is sec
ondary growth that comes up
after forest has once been cleared for
| cultivation. and consists of thorns, bam-
boo and creepers Through this tangled
mass the elephant tore his way, and it
was comparatively easy thing to fol-
low in his track, but next to impossible
to penetrate in any direction. When
the elephant stopped, we stopped, ho-
| ping always that shot might be OBJ
tanned At last he made longer halt
| than usual.
The result of his deliberations was
clearly determination to be rid of his
pursuers. as he suddenly turned round
and faced US at thirty yards. Instinc-
lively / felt he meant to charge. | had
changed the express for the smooth
bore, which is better adapted for quick
| shooting. On came the brute at full
career 1t is impossible for me to ana
! I'VE my state of mind at
that moment The upper
most feeling was not that had to kill the
beast but that had to stop the charge,
1t was well | did not think of running
for that would haze been fatal. l re
served fire till he seemed quite near,
and then blazed into the center of his
forehead.
The shot made him turn his head for
an instant; but, TO my horror, he still
came on, and, when within five PAGES,
he received my second shot on the right
temple, two inches above the eye. l
then turned and fed down the track.
In supreme moments of peril we can
often maintain our presence of mind.
Luckily it was so in this case, and the
slipping in of two fresh cartridges was
the work of n few seconds. | then
faced round, and to my unspeakable re-
lief the infuriated beast was no longer
charging. There he lay dead in his
tracks with one and one fourth ounces
of lead lodged in his brain. He had
fallen noiselessly, his tusks buried deep
in the ground.
The reaction now set in, and / felt
my legs trembling, the result of high
nervous tension during the brief bui
fierce encounter. At the beginning OF
the charge my Kuraba friends had
swarmed up tree, and they now called
out not to go near the beast, as he might
be feigning. We cautiously approached
and soon found the noble animal was
robbed of all his terrors and lay still III
death ! was now possessed of feel
ing of intense JOY. II was 2oclock and
having eaten nothing since daybreak,
the first thing to think of was lunch.
We then cut off the end of the tail and
made for home. Kurabas are guided
through the forest by instinct, and we
struck out on bee line, reaching the
point where the horse was left within
two hours.