Wichita eagle., 1890-01-05


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, be could now have
easily fished me out with his trunk.
Again he hoisted with all his mighty
coming, and roared aloud for help. Some
shots were fired close by in answer, but
if they hit the bull, their only effect was
to stir his energies to more active life. In
another few seconds my shelter would
be torn away, and l should be done for.
4 cold perspiration burst over me as
realized that | was lost. Then of sud
den / remembered that I had pistol in
my belt, which often used for dispatch
ing wounded game. 1t was loaded and
capped. By this time the tree was lifted
SO much that L could easily get my hand
down to my middle and draw the pistol
from its case. l drew and cooked it.
See the tree was coming, and there, with
in three feet of my head, was the great
brown trunk of the elephant. placed
the muzzle Of the pistol within an inch
OF it and fired. The result was instanta-
neous. Down sunk the tree again, Civ
ing one of my legs a considerable
squeeze, and the next instant heard a
crashing sound. The elephant had
bolted.
BY this time, what between fright and
struggling, was pretty well done.
cannot remember how / got from under
the fallen tree, or indeed anything, until
1 found myself sitting on the ground
drinking some peach brandy from a
flask, and old Indaba-zinbi opposite me
nodding his white lock sagely, while he
fired off moral reflections on the narrow
ness of my escape, and my unwisdom in
not having taken his advice to go on
foot. That reminded me of my horse
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 fallen on me. | called to
indaba-zimbi and asked which way the
elephants had gone.
"Therey" he said, pointing down the
gully, land 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, l did not feel particu-
larly keen on elephants at the moment.
I seemed to have had enough of them.
However. it would never Go to show the
white feather before the boys, SO | as
scented with much outward readiness,
md 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 a 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
,..ey seemed to hesitate about entering
/, 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
.aw them. andinwardly was flied with
tears lest they should take it into their
3eaGs TO charge back up the gully. But
they did not; trumpe:ing aloud, they
rushed at the thick bush which went
down before them like corn before a
sickle | do not think that in all my eX-
seriences l ever heard anything to equal
.he sound they made as they crashed
through and over the shrubs and trees.
Before them was dense forest belt from
a hundred to hundred and fifty feet in
width. As they rushed on it fell, SO that be-
hind them was nothing but a level road
way strewn 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-
standing the nature of the ground over
which they had to travel, they kept their
distance ahead of us. This sort of thing
continued for mile or more and then |
saw that in front of the elephants the val
ley 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
itating evidently they mistruSted it.
Ny men yelled aloud, as only Kafiirs
can. and that settled them. Headed by
the wounded bull, whose martial ardor,
ike my own, was somewhat cooled, they
spread out and dashed into the treacher-
GUS swamp, for such it was, though just
then there was no water to be seen. For
a few wards all went well with them.
though they clearly found it heavy go
ing; then suddenly the great bull sunk
up TO his belly in the stiff peatv soil, and
remained fixed. The others, mad with
fear, took no heed of his struggles and
trumpeJings. but plunged on To meet the
same fate. In FIVE minutes the whole
herd of them were hopelessly begged.
the more they struggled to escape, the
deeper they sunk. There was one ex-
ception, indeed, COW with calf man.
aged 10 win back TO firm shore, and.
lifting her trunk, prepared TO charge us
as we came up. But at that moment
she heard the scream Of her calf, and
rushed back TO Its assistance, only to be
begged with the others.
Such a scene / 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 their
trunks wildly TO and fro. Now and
again a monster would make . great
effort and drag his mass from its 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 COMMISSION for the sufferings OF