The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-09-19
AN AFRICAN ROMANCE.
CHAPTER m.-CoNrrruKD.


CHAPTER Iu.-CoSTrNUKp.
By this time, between fright and
struggling, was pretty well done. !
can not remember how got from under
the fallen tree, or indeed any thing, .un-
til I found myself sitting On the ground
drinking some peach brandy from a
flask, and old Indaba-zimbi opposite
to me nodding his white locks
sagely, while he fired of moral reaec-
lions on the narrowness of my escape,
and ny unwisdom in not having taken
his advice togo on foot That reminded
me of my horse-I 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. reflected that in
another two seconds it would have fall
en- on me- called to Indaba-zimbi and
asked which way the elephants had
gone
"Therei7 he said, pointing down the
gully, and we had better go after them,
Macumazahn. We have had the bad
luck, now for the good"
There was philosophy in this, though.
to tell the truth, did not feel particu-
larly keen on elephants at the moment.
Iseemed to have had enough of them.
However, it would never do to show the
white feather before the boys, SO as
scented with much outward readiness,
and 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 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 en-
tering 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 filed
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
sickle. do not think that in all my
experiences ever heard any thing to
equal the sound they made as they
crashed through and over the shrubs
and trees. Before them was a dense
forest belt from a hundred to hundred
and fifty feet in width. As they rushed
on it fell, so that behind them was moth
ing but level roadway strewed with
fallen trunks, crushed branches, and
here and there q tree, too strong even
for them, left standing amid the wreck.
On they went, and, notwithstanding the
nature Of the ground over which they
had 70 travel, they kept their distance
ahead of US. This sort of thing con-
tinued for a mile or more, and then I
saw that In front of the elephants the
valley opened into space covered with
reeds and grass-it might have been five
or six acres in extent-beyond which
the valley ran on again.
The herd reached the edge of this ex-
panse, and for moment pulled up, hes
they mistrusted it.
My men yelled aloud as only Kaffirs can,
and that settled them. Headed by the
wounded bull, whose martial ardor, like
my own, was somewhat cooled, they
spread out and dashed into the treach-
erous swamp, for such it was, though
Just then there was no water to be seen.
For a few yards all went well with them,
though they clearly found it heavy
going; then suddenly the great bull
sunk up to his belly in the stiff, peaty
soil, and remained fixed. The others,
mad with fear, took no heed of his
and trumpetings, but plunged
on 70 meet the same fate. In FIVE min
utes the whole herd of them was hope
lessly begged, the more they struggled
to escape the deeper they sank. There
was one exception, indeed, cow with
calf managed TO win back 10 firm shore,
and. lifting her trunk, prepared to
charge as We came up. But at that mo-
ment she heard the scream of her calf,
and rushed back to its assistance, only
90 be begged with the Others.
Snch scene I never saw before or
since. The swamp was spotted all over
with the large forms of the elephants,
and tine air rang with their screams of
rage and terror as they waved their
trunks wildly to and fro. Now and