Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-01-18

with terror, and he simply stood stili, his
forelegs outstretched, and quivering all
over like leaf.
On rushed the elephant, awful 20 scc:
made one more vain effort TO stir the
horse. Now the trunk Of the great bull
swung aloft above my head. A thoukht
flashed through my brain. Quick a
light rolled from the saddle. By the
side Of the horse lay fallen tree, -
thick through as a mans body. Tho
tree was lifted little of the ground by
the broken boughs which took its weight,
and with single movement, 30 active is
one in such necessities, / flung myself
beneath IL. AsI did 30, heard the trunk
Of the elephant descend with . mighty
thud on the back OF my poor horse, and
tho next instant ! was almost In dark
ness, for the horse, whose back was
broken, fell over across the tree under
which l lay ensconced. But he did not
stop there long. In ten seconds more the
bull had got his trunk round my dead
nag's neck, and, with mighty effort,
hurled him clear of the tree. Iwriggled
backwards as far rs could towards the
roots Of the tree, Tor knew what he was
after.
Presently ! saw the red tip Of the bulls
trunk stretching itself towards me. II
he could manage to hook IL round any
part of me was lost. But in the POSI-
tion occupied, that was Just what he
could not do, although he knelt down to
facilitate his operations On came the
swapping tip like great open-mouthed
snake; IL closed upon my hat, which
vanished. Again it was thrust down,
and scream Of rage was beloved
through it within four inches Of my
head. Now it seemed to elongate itself.
Oh, heavensl now it had me by the
hair, which, luckily for myself, was not
very long. Then it was my turn to
scream, for next instant half square
inch Of hair was dragged from my scalp
by tho roots. ! was being plucked alive,
as have seen cruel Kafflr kitchen boys
pluck a fowl. The elephant, however,
disappointed with the moderate results,
changed his tactics. He wound his
trunk round the fallen tree and lifted it.
1t stirred, but fortunately the broken
branches imbedded in the spongy soil,
and some roots. which still held, pre-
vented It from being turned over,
though he lifted it SO much that, had it
occurred to him, he could now have
easily fished me out with his trunk.
Again he hoisted with all his mighty
strength, and saw that the tree was
coming, and roared aloud for help. Some
shots were fired close by in answer, but
| If they hit the bull, their only effect was
to stir his energies to more active life. In
another few seconds my shelter would
be torn away, and should be done for.
A cold perspiration burst over me as
realized that was lost. Then of sud.
den remembered that had pistol in
my belt, which often used for dispatch.
ing wounded game. 1t was loaded and
capped. BY this time the tree was lifted
30 much that could easily get my hand
down to my middle and draw the pistol
from its case. drew and cooked it.
See the tree was coming, and there, with
in three feet of my head, was the great
brown trunk Of the elephant. Iplaced
the muzzle Of the pistol within an inch
of it and fired. The result was instanta-
neous. Down sunk the tree again, Civ
ing one Of my legs considerable
squeeze, and the next instant heard
crashing sound. The elephant had
bolted.
By this time, what between fright and
struggling, l was pretty well done.
cannot remember how got from under
the fallen tree, or indeed anything, until
! found myself sitting on the ground
drinking some peach brandy from
flask, and old Indaba- zimbi opposite me
nodding his white lock sagely, while he
fired off moral reflections on the narrow
ness Of my escape, and my unwisdon In
not having taken his advice to go on
foot. That reminded me of my horse
] got up and went to look at it. 1t was
quite dead; the blow of the elephants
trunk had fallen ON the saddle, breaking
the framework and rendering it useless.
l reflected that in another two seconds
1t would have fallen on me. called to
Indaba-zimbi and asked which way the
elephants had gone.
"There" he said, pointing down the
gully, "and we had better so after them,
Macumazahn. We have had the bad
luck, now for the good"
There was philosophy in this, though,
to tell the truth, I did not feel particu-
larly keen on elephants at the moment.
seemed to have had enough of them.
However, it would never do to show the
white feather before the boys, SO as
sented with much outward readiness,
ard we started, on the second horse,
and the others on foot. When we had
travelled for the best part of an hour
down the valley, all Of a sudden we
came upon the whole herd, which num-
bered little more than eighty. just in
front of them the bush was SO thick that
they seemed to hesitate about entering
it, and the sides of the valley were SO
rocky and steep at this point that they
could not climb them.
They saw us at the same moment as we
saw them, and inwardly was filled with
fears lest they should take it into their
heads to charge back up the gully. But
they did not; trumpeting aloud, they
rushed at the thick bush which went
down before them like corn before a
sickle. l do not think that in all my ex-
periences / ever heard anything to equal
the sound they made as they crashed
through and over the shrubs and trees.
Before them was dense forest belt from
hundred to hundred and fifty feet in
width. As they rushed on it fell, SO that be-
hind them was nothing but level road
way strewn with fallen trunks, crushed
branches, and here and there a tree, too
strong even for them, left standing amid
, the wreck. On they went, and, notwith-
standing the nature of the ground over
which they had to travel, they kept their
distance ahead of u.s. This sort of thing
continued for a mile or more, and then
saw that in front of the elephants the val
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