The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-03-19


of its outstretched ears projecting ON
either side. Ihad disturbed it sleeping,
and it was running away. Obviously the
best thing to do would have been to let
it run, but was young in those days and
foolish, and in the excitemento of the mo-
ment lifted my ''roer' or elephant gun
and fired at the great brute over my
horses head. The recoil of the heavy
gun nearly knocked me off the horse.
recovered myself, however. and as |
did SO. saw the bull iurch forwards, for
the impact of three ounce bullet in the
TANKS will quicken the movements even
of an elephant. BY this time 1 had real.
lied the folly of tile shot, and devoutly
hoped that the bull would take no fur
Their notice of it. But he had different
view Of the matter. Pulling himself up
in series of plunges, he spun around
and came for ME with outstretcfed ears
and uplifted trunk. screaming terribly.
| was quite defenseless, for my gun was
empty, and my first thought was of es-
cape. dug my heels into the sides of
my horse. but he would not move an
inch. The poor animal was paralyzed
with terror, and he simply stood still, his
forelegs outstretched. and quiveriSg all
over like leaf.
On rushed the elephant. awful to see;
made one more vain effort to stir the
horse. Now the trunk of the great bull
swung aloft above my head. a thought
flashed through my brain. Quick as
light rolled from the saddle By the
side of the horse lay fallen tree, as
thick through as a mans body. The
tree was lifted little off the ground by
the broken boughs which took its weight,
and with a single movement. so active is
one in such necessities, | flung myself
beneath it. AS did so, / heard the trunk
of the elephant descend with Il mighty
thud on the back of my poor horse, and
the next instant / was almost in dark.
ness, for the horse. whose back was
broken, fell oyer across the tree under
which | 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 II mighty effort,
hurled him clear Of the tree II wriggled
backwards as far as COULD towards the
roots of the free, for4E knew what he las
after. .-,xa..t = ,.gss 50 O. s...a :......>: ~
PresenttYtl sesAe the red tip & - Jull's
trunk stretching itself towards me- IF
he could-nianage, m4hotls it round any
part of rslelLoksas lasts L: BIT in the posi-
ton l occupied, that 1Vtts just what he
could not&o. although he knelt down to
facilitatellis1 raltitrnss On came the
snappingtiadilu ID. gpeatl open-mouthed
snake: iae htRabetFsinusny hat, which
vanishe6G sapski.e 1t sras thrust down,
and sofeai0sedf 1EsHe was beloved
throughsat AisAin ibswf inches of my
head. Notwithstanding elongate itself.
Oh, heaNeits!witsSn ifobad me by the
hair. whBbradcha lE.afea' smyself. was not
very pgrssfheRph MAS my turn to
scream, for next instant half square
inch Of hair was dragged from my scalp
by the roots: Il was being plucked alive,
as have seencruel Kaffir kitchen bows
pluck fowl. The elephant. however,
disappointed with theslnoderate 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