The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1884-06-27
ELEPHANT SHOOTING IN WEST
ERIN INDIA

EFN INDIA.
There stood the two full-sized tuskers with.
IN easy shooting distance One had enor-
mously large trunks, and stood facing me
with his head well up SO that to reach his
brain my bullet would need to have penetrat
ed quite two feet of trunk The other. with
much smaller tusks, stood broadside on. his
head screened by the bamboos. Resting one
knee. and with the muzzle of the express
against the tree, | waited, hoping the mon
ster would lower his head. but when he
shifted his position it was merely to lift his
head and trunk still higher in search of sue
culent bamboos. 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 coaching | had
formerly received from elephant slayers-a
line drawn from eye to eye as a base, from
the centre of which is raised a line at right
angles and six inches high BY joining the
ends of the base with this apex small mag
mary triangle is formed, within which the
bullet must be planted. / was in no hurry,
felt quite cool, and aimed at the centre of
the fatal triangle. Bang. went the rife
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 to effect or it did
not occur to me that I had q second barrel
besides spare gun resting on the tree. I
confess | was much astonished at the, little
effect of my first fire. 1t was afterward
found that the bullet had buried itself in
mass of bone just above the brain. We could
see no blood trail, but the track left behind
their impetuous rush was easily followed. At
ter keeping together for several hundred
thew ed (l,oo l. ,rxbk
and showed the beast was rushing headlong
and smashing down trees and all before it.
We took up this track rightly thinking
1t was that OF the wounded animal
1t was now $50. For four hours, and as
fast as we could walk, we followed the track,
when the game was again in view. The
wounded animal left the bamboo iungles, and
sought the thickest covert We followed,
and came on him time after time. but only
his huge stern presented itself Finding he
was followed, he made for the koomera. This
is the secondary growth that comes up after
the forest has once been cleared for cultiva-
ton, and consists of thorns. bamboo and
creepers Through this entangled mass the
elephant tore his way, and it was COMPARE
lively easy thing to follow in his track but
next to impossible to penetrate in any other
direction When the elephant stopped, we
stopped, hoping always that shot might be
obtained. At last lie made a longer halt than
usual. The result of his deliberations was
clearly determination to be rid of his pur-
suers, as he suddenly turned round and
faced us at thirty yards. Instinctively I felt
he meant to charge. | had changed the ex-
press for the smooth bore, which is better
adapted for quick shooting. On came the
brute in full career. 1t is impossible for me
to analyze my state of mind at that moment
The uppermost feeling was not that had to
kill the beast, but that I had to stop the
charge. It was well I did not think of rum
ming, for that would have been fatal. I re-
served fire till he seemed quite near, and then
bazed into the centre 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. then turned and fed down the
track. In supreme moments of peril we can
often maintain our presence of mind. Luck
lily, it was SO IN this case, and the slipping in
of two fresh cartridges was the work of a few
seconds. l then faced round, and to my IN
speakable relief the Infatuated beast was no
longer charging. There he lay dead in his
tracks with / ounces Of lead lodged in his
brain. He had fallen noiselessly, his tusks
buried deep in the ground. The reac-
ton now set IN, and L felt my legs trem-
bling, the result of high nervous tension dur
ing the brief but fierce encounter. At the be-
ginning 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 foigning. We cautiously approached,
and soon found the noble animal was
robbed of all his terrors and lay still in death.
| was now possessed of feeling of intense
JOY. 1t was , O'clock, 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 Decline, reaching the point
where the horse was left within two hours
A DISGRACE TO SOCIETY.