Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1890-01-16
/ was nrettY well dome.

Va AAAAAiB SCAh3 P'aNh AAOAA -
flask, and old Indaba-zimbi opposite
to me nodding his white locks
sagely, while ne fred off moral refiec-
tions on the narrowness of my escape,
and my unwisdom in not having taken
his advice to 60 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 bad fallen on the
saddle, breaking the framework and
rendering it useless. | reflected that in
another two seconds it would have fall
en- on me- | called to Indaba-zimbi and
asked which way the elephants had
gone.
'Therel" he said, pointing down the
gully, "and 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, did not feel particu-
larly keen on elephants at the moment.
i seemed to have had enough of them.
However, it would never do TO show tho
white feather before the boys, so l as.
sented with much outward readiness,
and 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 sudden we
came upon the whole herd, which num-
bered little mere than eighty. just
in front of them the bush was so thick
that they seemed to hesitate about en-
tering it, 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 saw them, and inwardly was filled
with fears lest they should take 1t into
their heads to charge back up the gully.
But they did not; trumpeting aloud,
they rushed at the thick bush which
went down before them like corn before
q sickle. do not think that in all my
experiences ever heard any thing to
equal the sound they made as they
crashed through and over the shrubs
and trees. Before them was a dense
forest belt from hundred to 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 a tree, too strong even
for them, left standing amid the wreck,
On they went, and, Notwithstanding tho
nature of the ground over which they
had to travel, they kept their distance
ahead of US. This sort of thing con-
tinued for a mile or more, and then
saw that in front of the elephants tho
valley opened into space covered with
reeds and grass it might have been five
or six acres in extent-beyCnd which
the valley ran on again.
The herd reached tho edge of this ex-
panse, and for moment pulled up, hes
itating evidently they mistrusted 1t.
My men yelled aloud as only Kafflrs 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 well with them,
though they clearly found 1T 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, COW with a
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 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 monster would make great ef-
fort to 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 haYe
little compassion for the sufferings Of
animals.
Well, the rest was easy. The marsh
that would not bear the elephants car
ried our weight well 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 | sley with my own hand
and | can not say felt much compunc-
tion in doing SO. He knew me 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.
| sent back for the wagons, and when
they arrived on tbs morrow formed a
camp, about a mile away from the pan.
Then began the work of cutting out the
elephants tusks; 1t 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