Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-09-26
TRAPPING ELEPHANTS.
An African Sport Not Without an
Element Of Danger.
But the Profits More Than Counterbslance
the PeriIs-HOw q BlOod-Thirsty
Enemy Was Converted Into
a Devoted Servant.

Enemy Was Converted Into
q Devoted Servant.
Four days march inland from
Quiloa, which is on the east coast of
Africa and two hundred and fifty
miles above Madagascar, we came
into the elephant country and made a
permanent camp. My orders from
the Hamburg house were to secure at
least five elephants alive and deliver
them on board ship at Quiloa- Our
party consisted of three white men
and forty-two natives, and we had
seven horses and six teams of bull
locks. Among the natives were sever
al fellows who had hunted the big
game with white men, and who were
pretty thoroughly posted as to the
creatures habits. 1t would have been
almost as easy to shoot an elephant as
buffalo, but to capture one alive and
get him down to the coast was a differ
emit matter.
We had our camp in a thick grove
about two miles from forest through
which we knew elephants ranged. and
orders were given against firing guns
or moving about more than was
necessary. An elephant will take the
alarm as quick as deer, and when
once frightened he may not cool down
for hours After a couple of days
four or five of US made a scout to the
forest, and we were delighted to find
evidence that it was favorite resort
This forest was a strip about nine
miles long and two miles wide, thrust
ing itself down into a great plain like
tongue. About opposite our camp
it narrowed to width of half mile,
and further down cut short off, though
there were groves scattered all over
the plain.
We were rejoiced to find that this
strip of forest was veritable highway
for the elephants passing back and
forth. while the foliage was their
choicest food. We spent two whole
days getting the lay of the forest for
several miles, and we finally selected
a particular spot to work on. It was
in the narrowest portion of the strip,
and here we dug two pits and con-
cealed them SO nicely that the sharp
est native would have mistrusted
nothing. When all was ready we re-
tired from the forest and posted
native in the nearest grove to act as
sentinel for the remainder of the day.
This grove was about an acre in ex-
tent, with the trees standing very
thick. and we were about moving of,
after instructing the native, when we
heard trumpet blast and a mighty
rush. The blast of a mad elephant in
his native wilds is sound never to be
forgotten. Each one of us instantly
realized that we had come up
on an old 'rogue." and that we
were in deadly peril. An elephant
who has become a crank and deserted
his troop or been driven away is more
dangerous than any other living thing.
His sole thought is to destroy, and he
loses all sense of fear. Had we been
mounted we could have scattered and
outrun him, but we were all on foot,
and our only safety was in sticking to
the grove. When we heard him COM
ing we lodged right and left and hur-
ried deep into the grove. The old fell
low had the eyes of lynx. and, wheel
ing from his first charge, he seemed
determined to hunt us all down. Each
one of us lodged on our own account,
thus distracting his attention, but he
finally pursued one Of the natives SO
closely that the man had to take to a
tree. He didn't have his choice,
either, and was unfortunately driven
to shelter in a tree about as large
around as a mans body. He was
barely out of reach when the mad
brute arrived at the trunk. Twas in
much larger tree about forty feet
away, and could plainly see the move
ments of the beast He was an old
bull. carrying large pair of tusks,
and he was mad all over. He tried
hard to push the tree over, and though
he could not succeed, he shook the
native around so as to give him q bad
fright.
In order to call the brute Of fired
at him several times with q revolver.
Each bullet hit him, but of course did
no damage. He, however, refused to
leave the tree. and after standing for a
moment in thought he put his shout
der against it, surged forward. and.
after svaying back and forth half
dozen times. the tree broke short of
about ten feet from the ground The
native was expecting it. and a. the
top crashed through the trees he
caught at . limb and pulled himsalf
Into large tree. The elephant soon