New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-12-14
SOME HUNTING STORIES.
ELEPHANTS. BUFFALOES AND STILL MORE
SAVAGE MEN.

disabling him. and he gets after you in the open.
But | mean fight between elephants.
Il didn't know they ever fought, Interrupted
o. novice in the jungle.
you would know it. if you ever saw two
'trskcr,' fairly at it, was the reply. They
don't often do it but when they do ii is battle
20 the death One day. up in the hill country.
saw such a combat They were hard at it when
7 came in sight. They We're on the hillside.
One OF them a burly, stOut-bult beast with short,
nowerful tusis. was evidently getting much the
worse of the scrimmage. and the white and red
burrows in his sides plainly Indicated seams made
bv his ANTAGONISTS tus<s. Blood was trlckilng
down his head and shoulders. On The rise OF
the hill was his enemy. still lar"cr animal. pos
sessing the advantage OF longer tusks 1t was q
lost fight In a few minutes the victor, with
quick rush at the other, made good thrust at
the side. There was severe struggle, but the
tus, went its full length into the now beaten
brute. and using all his weight The victor pressed
him down the hill. where they disensaged them
selves and prepared for another hont Tho
wounded tusker's roars of pain were ptiful 10
hear. He turned tail and sought safety in fight.
But the other kept close behind and gave him
thrust after thrust hut not in any vital part.
Pretty soon they wheeled around, raced and came
the only stand made and the beaten brute was
ouicklv overpowered by the more powerful and
fresbcr victor. The thrusts now put behind tia
shoulder and into the body quickly disabled the
poor brute. and in fact in few minutes the CONS
hat was over The conqueror with one rush
completely rolled his enemy over. and by repeated
thrusts into the PROSTATE form finished the fight
amid meanings and trumpetlng.
II got some men and went out next morning
70 look for the body and get the tuSl;S We
found a big herd of elephants in an cNcited state
almost on The spot where the finish had occurred.
In il were several small tuskers, besides the big
conqueror Of tie evening before, who seemed 70
instil a great deal Of fear into the Youngsters
He came ont into the open glade with tne young
female and as he approached there was a general
stampede out Of his way. We came on the dead
beast. which had been bl1ted and rolled after
il was killed into a clump Of bambooS. II had been
a fine burly animal, bat was marked from fore
head 70 rear and top 10 foot by rips and cuts.
He measured rinc feet six inches ar the shoulder
and the tusls proved slightly over 90 pounds tho
pair The victor which in the fight appeared 20
tower over his Toe must have been quite ten feet
high and had the longest tus-s have ever seen
clear OF their sockets. I tried 70 get him. hit
what with his harem about him and the difficulty
of getting clear view in the long grass failed
10 get Shot
81 don't know though" said an old hunter,
who had been in Africa, " but that ] would rather
take my chances with an elephant than with
real mad buffalo. There is no more savage brute,
and none more indomitable and persistent in his
wrath. II is not that they are Swifter or stronger
or that their horns are more deadly weapon!
Bu, they display pertinacity Of spite which makes
them exceedingly formidable. Let lion miss
his first spring and he will turn away Unless
ravenously hungry-in disappointment and disgust
from his intended victim. Let q rhinoceros he
wounded and unless hemmcd in by foes he will
make for the water. But the wounded buffalo
sticks to his enemy, and has been known TO watch
under tree for days in the hope Of securing his
revenge upon the hunter who had climbed up IL 70
escape his fury. The natives have a special plan ~
their own for capturing them. They used 10 select
the special bull they wanted 10 kill and entloe or
drive il from its companions Two or three OF
them would engage the animals attention In front,
leaping nimbly 10 one side 10 avoid his furious
charges, while another hunter undertook the
risky job of creeping up behind and hamStringing
the beast They were generally successful, hut
many lives were lost every year in buffalo hunt
lng. and the natives themselves consider il the
B
"But you must 70 M through the Shan
country" said n soldier of the BritiSh-Buman
army. 10 find the greatest hunting in the world.
Go up TO Lava.
What do they hunt up there''
Heads
What kind Of heads
Human heads. 20 be sure They want them 70
drive the devil away. In every Lava village
there must be a skull for every house. They are
stuck on posts along the roadside. and cheerf l.
looking avenue they make. They organize regular
head-hun,ing raids every year Whenever a Lava
man meets stranger. especially near his own
village. he goes for his head Ii he failed<to do
so. his neighbors would 20 for his own head when
he got home again. They would regard him as
lacking in public spirit and enterprise. II there
is an unusual dcarth of other peoples heads, or a
new village has to he protected AZ any cost, me
wild Iawas do not hesitate to cut of the heads OF
! tbe fam, Lawas Peaceful traders who penetrate
elsewhere with their merchandise give a WIDE
/ berth when they approach the Lava country SUI
| must say that apart from this one weakness iot
| head-collcctinl the Lawas are said To he an IN
! dustrious hard-worling, honest race. ard very
| seldom steal anything. even when they nave cu'
! of the heads of everybody III village Anu ''e'
only cut of heads. as have said 10 protect them
| selves from evil spirit.
Even that is scarcely as bad, said announcer
rs the blood fcuds they have IN the Afrldi couh
! try There was one man there, named faz ldia'
| Khan. who won the hatred of certln cMel'aIns
! who planned his murder. man named Nuh'''.
| Var a Nasiri GhlZai, VINO lad muTueIeu SUM SUM
| nineteen twenty persons ny tIra'Hc.H' m
found willing 10 undertake the business, IL nv W."
| Maid the sum of / 4 90 rupees and u sEaWl INK
Icing agreed to- he left the JelIilahad al'A az,
| started for the knyber \ friend oi faiI i%a
| khans being informed "a the plot, wrote u, uil
| ami govr ali details as 10 Inc appearance ol u'
| man who had consented To murder MN ioI 'o'
sidrration Strange IN state. Muhamad ~ ~
nearcd AT Taiz lalab khan's gate ana cialihe'
shelter and hospitality, just rs the le'tr 'iIir 49,
! warning FaiZ 1alab against his ass assn. -"
letter was carefully read and the descriptive 10
! canned. compared and found 10 sun me man WI.
had lust claimed shelter. Fan lalaos re,al nn,s
yyerc for killing the man at once, or, al all cNen's
| ,'r,;n( lin away for good hut their mas'c
Would not hear of it, and after carefully sesrcn
inc the man TO find out whether ne had any ar
4