Los Angeles herald., 1890-12-29
ELEPHANT VS.. WOLVES.
A Pachyrderm' Sagacity Under Very
Trying Circumstances.

Trying Circumstances.
/ had had my elephant seven months
before learned his real value, He had
been warranted nervy beast, but 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 vii
lage to procure medicine for sick man
in my party. The route was through ior-
est and thicket and over stretches of
open covered with tall grass. Before 60
ing l exchanged my rifle for one of the
shotguns, knowing that it would be q
more effective weapon from the back of
an elephant. There had been a murder
committed in the village that afternoon,
and this and other matters detained me
until about an hour before sunset. As
| made ready to start back a native
hunter said to me:
''The Sahib will need sharp eyes and
a steady hand. A wolf has just ap-
peared in the village"
l thanked him for his interest and
rode away. The wolves OF India do not
pack in such numbers as elsewhere, sell
dom more than five or six being found
together. We had killed a few along
the line and they had shown no fight at
all. AS Zeb shambled along thought
far less of wolves than of bigger game.
l wasn't mile out OF the village when
Zeb began to swing his trunk as q sign
that he scented danger. AS we left the
cover vf the woods to cross one of the
open spaces he trumpeted in excite
ment and increased his pace. l could
see nothing at first to alarm him. but
two or three minutes laterI caught sight
OF five large wolves on our trail, and
this number increased to twenty
almost in a twinkling. We not yet
half way across the open when the pack
spread out in half circle and closed in
on us. As soon as they were near
enough opened fire, and wolf dropped
at every report. The living didn't stop,
however, and closed in more eagerly
than before, and Zeb was now under
such motion that could no longer use
the gun. | had scarcely laid it down
and picked up hatchet which was in
the howdah by chance, when a wolf
sprang fairly from the ground and caught
the edge of the box-like arrangement
with his forepaws. / used the hatchet
to sever his paws, ard both dropped in
side as he rolled to the ground.
Zeb was now speeding along like a
runaway horse, and had all could do
to retain my seat. He used his trunk
right and left, and more than once /
heard wolf howl out as he was knocked
over. / had no mahout, always acting
as my own, and Zeb had always been
wonderfully obedient TO my voice. I
had no orders to give him now, however,
and only knew in vague way that he
was heading for our camp. He finally
reached the far edge of the open, and
now expected to be swept off his back
as he ran under the trees. Instead of
going into the woods he skirted
them to the westward, and after
run of five minutes he
reached small lake of whose presence
| had not the slightest knowledge, as it
was walled in by thickets. He ran
straight into the water. which was
about four feet deep, and alive with
alligators. 1t was about an acre in
extent, and Zeb waded out about 200
feet from shore before he stopped. The
pack followed us, each wolf obliged to
swim, and | counted eleven of them.
They probably reasoned that we were
going straight across.
NHeH tHe eiepHdnC matted L nad my
shotgun ready to open fire, but there
was no need of it. Zeb let the wolves
come on, only to their destruction. The
first one he got hold of was flung thirty
feet high, and the blows of his trunk
broke a back whenever it could
get fair blow. / believe he would
have cleaned out the whole pack with
out help, but killed two, and then aid
came from an unexpected quarter. The
alligators, disturbed by the row, were
quick to catch on to the fact that food
was at hand, and they came up by the
dozen. Three or four OF the wolves
made for the shore after a bit, but not
one reached it. When the last one had
been pulled down Zeb waded ashore and
headed for the camp, which he reached
without further incident. When / came
to look him over found that he had re-
ceived several severe bites on the trunk,
and sharp stone had severely cut his
right hindfoot.
After that night the sight of wolf in.
stantlv aroused his ire / saw him in the
town of Sundella one day year later.
when a native wearing wolfskin shoul-
der-cape happened to pass near. Zeb at
once charged him, and seizing the poor