The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1884-03-08

There stood the two full sized tuske

There stood the two full sized tuskers
within easy shooting distance. One had
enormously large tusks, and stood fac
ing me with his head well up, 80 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 bamboos. Resting one knee, and
with the muzzle of the express against
the tree, l 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 search
of succulent bamboos. Several minutes
passed IN this way, during which my
nerves recovered themselves. just then
the smaller tusker backed a 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 ear to eye as base, from
the centre Of which is raised line at
right angles and six inches high. By
joining the ends of the base with this
apex a small imaginary triangle is form
ed, within which the bullet must be
planted. l was in no hurry, felt quite
cool, and aimed at the centre of the
fatal triangle. Bangl 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 l had second barrel, besides a
spare gun resting on the tree. L confess
l was much astonished at the little
effect of my first file. 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 lmpetuous rust
was easily followed. After keeping to.
gether for several hundred yards they
separated. One track was straight
and showed the beast was rushing head,
long and smashing down trees and al
before it. We took up this track
rightly thinking it was that of tht
wounded animal. 1t was now $3.50. Fol
four hours, and as fast as we could walk
we followed the track, when the gamt
was again in view. The wounded ami
NAL left the bamboo jungles, and sough
the thickest covert. We followed, ant
came on him time after time, but onl,
his huge stern presented itself. Finding
he was followed, he made for the koo
mera. This is a secondary growth tina
comes up after the forest has once beer
cleared for cultivation, and consists o
thOrns, bamboo, and creepers. Through
this entangled mass the elephant tor,
his way, and it was a comparativel!
easy thing to follow in his track, bu
next to impossible to penetrate in an,
other direction. When the elephan
stopped, we stopped, hoping always tina
shot might be obtained. At last h,
made longer halt than usual. The re
suit Of his deliberations was clearly ;
determination to be rid of his pursuers
as he suddenly turned round, and facet
us at 30 yards. Instinctively felt h,
meant to charge. had changed th,
express for the smooth-bore, which i
better adapted for quick shooting, o.
came the brute in full career. 1t is i'm
possible for me to analyze my state o
mind at that moment. The uppermos
feeling was not that 1 had to kill tn,
beast, but that had to stop the charge
1t was well did not think of running
for that would have been fatal. re
served fire till he seemed quite near, ant
then blazed into the centre of his fore
head. The shot made him turn his hea,
for an instant; but, to my horror, h
still came on, and, when within NV
PAGES, he received my second shot OF
the right temple, two inches above tn
eye. / then turned and fled down tn
track. In supreme moments Of per-
we can often maintain our presence @
mind. Luckily, it was so in this case
and the slipping in of two fresh cal
tridges was the work of few seconds
[ then faced round, and to my unspeah
able relief the infuriated beast was N
longer charging. There he lay dead i
his tracks with 4 ounces of lead lodge
in his brain. He had fallen noiselessly
his tusks buried deep in the ground
The reaction now set in, and 1 felt m
legs trembling, the result of high mel
vous tension during the brief bat fierc
encounter. At the beginning of th
charge my Kuraba friends had swarme
up tree, and they now called out nc
to go near the beast as he might b
fsigning. We cautiously approached
and soon found the noble animal wa
robhed of all his terrors and lay still i
death. L was now possessed of fee
ing of inteuse joy. 1t was 2 o'clocl
and having eaten nothing since day
break, the first thing to think of wa
lunch. We then cut off the end of tn
tail and made for home. Kurabas al
guided through the forest by instinc
and we struck out on bee-line, reacl
, ing the point where the horse was lei
, within two hours.
Don't Girls.
| no,,,f fh;nlr 70 naaaesar,, FD,. ,,o,