The Irish standard., 1890-02-08

experiences I ever heard any thing TO
equal the sound they made as they
crashed through and over the shrubs
and trees. Before them was q dense
forest belt from a hundred to a 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 tree, too strong even
for them, left standing amid the wreck.
On they went, and, notwith Outstanding the
nature of the ground over which they
had to travel, they kept their distance
ahead of u.s. This sort Of thing con-
tinued for mile or more, and then
saw that in front Of the elephants the
valley opened into a space covered with
reeds and grass lit might have been tive
or six acres in extent-beyond which
the valley ran on again.
The herd reached the edge OF this ex-
panse, and for a moment pulled up, hes
itating-evidently they mistrusted 1t.
My men yelled aloud as only Kattirs 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 few yards all went we'll 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
struggles and trumpetings, but plunged
on to 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, a COW with
calf managed to win back to 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 it's assistance, only
to be begged with the others.
Such scene I never saw before or
since. The swamp was spotted all over
with the large forms of the elephants,
and the. air rang with their screams Of
rage and terror as they waved 5heir
trunks wildly to and fro. Now and
again monster would make a great eff
fort to drag his mass from it's peaty bed,
only to stick fast again at the next
stroke. 1t was most pitiable sight,
though one that gladdened the hearts Of
my men. Even the best natives have
little compassion for the sufferings OF
animals. --.r,..
Well, the rest was easy. The marsh
that would not bear the elephants car
ried our weight we'll enough Before
midnight all were dead, for we shot
them by moonlight. / would gladly
have spared the young ones and some OF
the COWS, but to do so would only have
meant leaving them to perish of hunger;
it was kinder to kill them at once, The
wounded bull I slew with my own hand,
and can not say felt much compunc-
tion in doing so. He knew mo again,
and made desperate effort to getat me.
but am glad to say the peat held him
fast.
The pan presented curious sight
when the sun rose next morning. Owing
to the support given by the soil none
of the dead elephants had fallen; there
they all stood as though they were
asleep.
Isent back for the wagons, and when
they arrived on the morrow formed a
camp, about mile away from the pan.
Then began the work of cutting out the
elephants tusks; it took over week,
and for obvious reasons was disgusting
task. Indeed, had it not been for the
help of some wandering bushmen, who
took their pay in elephant meat, l do
not think we could ever have managed
it.
At last it was done. The ivory was
far too cumbersome for us to carry, SO
we buried it, having first got rid of our