The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1890-11-20


from the diameter of candle to that of a
tea canister. We selected a size to fit any
hole we found, and they were loaded with
powder and buckshot and fuse iu-
serted. The cylinders dropped down
after the snakes, aud the explosion set
tied the fate of anything in that hole.
think we killed sixty or seventy serpentS
en- an acre Of ground.
The first Chinese bomb 1 used on the
railway line was at q point eighty miles
west of Lucknow. One morning q native
came to me from small village on our
right flank and said that panther had
carried off his -year,old child the
evening before. Just after sunset. while
the family were sitting about the door of
the hut, the child, which was just begin
ming to walk, toddled off around the
corner of the hut, and was seized by a
panther lying in wait. Its screams reused
the whole village, and everybody saw the
beast golloping away with the child in
its mouth. This panther was known TO
have two cubs, and her retreat was in a
rocky ravine, a mile from the village. l
took five men and the elephant,
and, accompanied by about thirty
of the villagers, went to the ra-
vine. 1t wasn't exactly raviue, but
basin of thicket and rock, with q
spring at the bottom of it. My men soon
beat up the ground, and found 4 we'll
worn path leading to the den. 1t was
about twenty feet below the crest Of the
sink, and the opening was nearly as large
as barrel. There was no question but
that the panthers would be at home at
that hour of the day, and after arranging
my men with their shot guns I dropped
the bomb into the den myself. 1t wasn't
bomb for 4 mortar, but heavy glass
bulb filled with chemicals and exploded
by fuse When the chemicals were re-
leased they created such smell as no
human nose could endure.
l heard growl as retreated, and all
of US caught the sound of the explosion.
Indeed, we felt the jar of 1t. A few sec
onds later there was rush and a roar,
and one panther was hardly out when a
! second followed. They were cut and
bleeding and seemed to be ON fire. We
fired as they came into sight, and both
rolled to the bottom of the sink, dead.
It was full hour before native could
enter the den, and then he found two
dead cubs and some OF the bones of the
villagers child. We gave them the
scalps of the panthers, that they might
claim the Government reward, and the
father of the child at once forgot his
loss.
had had my elephant seven months
before 1 learned his real value. He had
been warranted a nervy beast, brt it often
happens that if an elephant is transferred
to new scenes he undergoes change Of
heart. One afternoon rode down the
route about five miles to village to pro-
cure medicine for a sick man in my party.
The route was through forest and thicket
and over stretches of open covered with
tall grass. Before going exchanged
my rifle for one of the Shotguns, knowing
that it would Dc more effective wea-
pom from the back of an elephant. There
had been a murder committed in the vii
lage that forenoon, and this and other
matters detained me until about an hour
before sunset As made ready to start
back native hunter said to nc:
The sahib will need sharp eyes and o
steady hand. A wolf has just appeared
in the village"
thanked him for his interest and rode
away. The wolves of India do not pack
in such numbers as elsewhere, seldom
more than five or six being found to-
gether. We had killed few along the
line, and they had showed no fight at all.
As Zeb shambled along I thought far less
of wolves than Of bigger game.
wasn't mile out of the village when
Zeb began to swing his trunk as q sign
that he scented danger. a. we left the
cover of the woods to cross one of the
open spaces, he trumpctcd in excitement,
and increased his pace. l could see
nothing at first to alarm him, but two or
three minutes later l caught sight Of
five wolves Oh our trail and this number
increased to twenty aimos; in twink
ling. We were not yet half way across
the open when the pack spread out in a
half circle and closed in on US. As soon
as they were near enough | opened fire,
and a wolf dropped at every report. The
living didn't stop, however, but closed
in more eagerly than before, and Zcb was
now under such motion that could no
longer use tue gun l had scarcely laid
it down and picked up hatchet which
was in the howdah by chance, when Il
wolf sprang fairly from the ground and
caught the edge of the bux-!ike arrange
ment with his forepaws. used the
hatchet to sever his paws, and both
dropped inside as he rolled off to the
ground.
Zeb was now speeding along like a
runaway horse, and l had all l could do
to retain nv seat. He used his trunk
right and left, aud more than once
heard wolf howl out as he was knocked
over. l had no mahout, always acting
as my own, and Zeb had always been
wonderfully obedient to my voice.
had no orders to give him now, however
and only knew iu q vague way that hi
was heading for our camp. He finally
reached the far edge of the open, and
now I expected to be swept off his back
as he ran under the trees. Instead O
going into the woods he sklrted them tc
the westward, and after 4 run of five
minutes he reached a small lake, of whose
presence 1 had not the slightest knowl
edge, as it was walled in by thickets