The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-03-12

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1t was kinder to kill them at once. The
wounded bull l slew with my own hand,
and l can not say felt much compunc-
tion in doing so. He knew me again,
and made desperate effort TO getatm me,
but am glad 10 say the peat held him
! fast.
The pan presented q curious sight
when the sun rose next morning. Owing
TO the support given by the soil none
OF tho dead elephants had fallen; there
they all stood as though they were
asleep.
sent 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; IL took over o 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, do
not think We could ever have managed
1t.
At last II was done. The ivory was
far too cumbersome for US to carry, so
we buried 1t, having first got rid Of our
bushmen allies. My boys wanted me to
90 back TO the Cape with 1t and sell It,
but | was too much bent on my journey
to do this. The tusks lay buried for
five years. Then came and dug them
up; they were but little harmed. Ulti-
mately | sold the ivory for something
over twelve hundred pounds-not bad
for one days shooting.
This is how began my career as an
elephant hunter. have shot many hun
dreds OF them since, but have never
again attempted to do so on horseback.
CHAPTER ~
After burying the elephant tusks, and
having taken careful notes OF the bear
ings and peculiarities OF the country so
that / might be able to find the spot
again, we proceeded on our journey. For
month or more we trekked along the
line which now divides the Orange Free
State from Griqualand West and the
Transvaal from Bechuanaland. The
only difficulties met with were such as
are still common to African travellers
occasional want OF water and troubles
about crossing sluits and rivers. Ire
member that l outspanned on the spot
where Kimberly now stands, and had TO
press on again in hurry because there
was no water. l little dreamed then
that l should live 10 see Kimberly
great city producing millions Of pounds
worth OF diamonds annually, and old
Indaba-zimbi's magic can not have been
worth SO much after all, or he would
have told me.
l found the country almost entirely
depopulated. Not very long before
Mosilikatzi the Lion, Chaka's General,
had swept across it in his progress
towards what is now Matabeleland His
footsteps were evident enough. Time
upon time / trekked up to what had evil
IDENTIFY been the sites OF the Kafir
kraals. Now tho kraals were ashes and
piles of tumbled stones, and strewn
about among the rank grass wore the
bones OF hundreds Of men, women and
children, all Of whom had kissed the Zulu
assegai. remember that in one OF
these desolate places found the skull
OF child in which ground lark had
built It's nest. 1t was the twittering OF
the young birds inside that first
called my attention TO 1t. Shortly after
this event we met with our second great
adventure, much more serious and
tragic one than the first.
We were trekking parallel with the
Kolong river when a herd OF blesbock
crossed the track. / fred at one OF
them and hit IL behind. 1t galloped
about thousand yards with the rest oi
the herd, then lay down. AS we were
in want OF meat, not having met with
any game for few days past, jumped
on TO my remaining horse, and, telling
lndaba-zimbi that would overtake the
wagons or meet them on the further
side OF rise about an hours trek
away, / started after the wounded buck.
As soon as came within q hundred
yards Of 1t, however, II jumped up and
ran away as fast as though II were un.
touched, only TO lie down again at Q
distance. followed, thinking that
strength would soon fail II. This hap
pened three times. On the third oc.
casion II vanished behind q ridge, and
though by now was out Of both tenn.
per and patience, thought ! might as
we'll ride 70 the ridge and see II I could
get shot " IL on the further side.
Iresched the ridge, which was strewn
with stones. looked over II, and saw--a
Z..i.s Y--.f ~ "a. ~