St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-11-10

before learned his real value. He had
been Warranted a nervy beast, but it
often happens that, if an elephant is
transferred to new scenes, he under
goes change of heart. One afternoon
l rode down the route about five miles
TO village to procure medicine for q
sick man in my party. The route was
through forest and thicket, and over
stretches Of open covered with tall
grass. Before going l exchanged my
rifle for one of the shotguns. knowing
that it would be more effective weapon
from the back of an elephant. There
had been murder committed IN the
village that forenoon, and this and
other matters detained ME until about
an hour before sunset. AS made
ready to start back. a native hunter said
10 me:
The sahib will need sharp eyes and
a steady hand. 4 wolf has just appeared
i'll the village"
| thanked him for his interest and
rode away.
The Wolves of India
do not pack in such numbers as else
where, seldom more than five or six be-
ing found together. We had killed a
few along the line, and they had showed
no fight at all. As Zeb shambsed along
L thought far less of wolves than of big
ger game.
wasn't q mile out OF the village when
Zeb began to swing his trunk as sign
that he scented danger. AS we left the
cover of the woods TO cross one of the
open spaces, he trumpeted in excite
ment, and increased his pace. ] could
see nothing at first to alarm him, but
two or three minutes later j caught
nf tfEn lar
and this number Increased to twenty
almost in a twinkllng.
We were not yet half way across the
open when the pack spread out in a
half circle and closed in on us. AS soon
as they were near enough / opened
fire. and wolf dropped at every re-
port. The living didn't stop, however,
but closed in more eagerly than before,
and Zeb was now under such motion
that | could no longer use the gun. L
had scarcely laid it down and picked up
Ratchet which was In the hOwdah by
chance, when wolf sprang fairly from
the ground and caught the edge of the
boX-like arrangement with his fore
paws. used the Ratchet to sever his
paws, and both dropped inside as he
rolled off to the ground.
Leb was now speeding along like a
runaway horse, and l 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.
l had no mahout, always acting as my
own, and Zeb had always been wonder
fully Obedient to my voice. / had no
orders to give him now, however, and
only knew in a vague way that he was
heading for our camp. He finally
reached the far edge of the open, and
now J. 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 a run of five
minutes he reached a small lake, OF
whose presence | had not the slightest
knowledge, as it was walled in b. thick
cts. He ran straight into the water,
which was about four feet deep and
alive with alligators. 1t was about an
acre in extent, and Zebw AIDED out about
200 feet from shore before he stopped.
The pack followed US, each wolf
obliged to swim, and l counted eleven
of them. They probably reasoned that
we were going straight across.
When the elephant halted l had my
shotgun ready to open FIRE, but there
was no need of it. Zeb let the wolves
come Oh, only to their destruction. The
first one he got hold of was flung thirty
feet high, and the blows OF his trunk
broke back whenever it could get a
fair blow. / believe he would have
cleaned out the whole pack without
help, but l killed two, aud 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 of them reached it. When the last
one had been pulled down Zeb waded
ashore and headed for camp, which we
reached without further incident,
When l came to look him over | found
that he had received several severe
bites on the trunk, and sharp stone
had severely cut his right hind foot.
After that night the sight of wolf
instantly aroused his ire. | had him in
the town of Sundella year later, when
native wearing wolfSkin shoulder
cape happened to pass near. Zeb at
once charged him, and Selling the poor
fellow in his trunk. flung him clean over
the telegraph wires and on to the roof
of bungalow. The man had a leg
broken, and, of course, had to settle
the damages. After two days of palaver
he named his figures. He wanted a
sum equivalent to S25 in American
money, and his friends seemed to think
1t a fortunate speculation on his part.
THE UNLUCKY NUMBER.