Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-02-19
Exciting Hunting Scenes.

There are few more thrilling sights, ~
said one of the veteran sportsmen at the
campfire, than an elepban fight. | don t
mean fight with an elephant, though
that may be pretty thrilling to you, if you
wound the brute without disabling him.
and he gets after you in the open. But
mean fght between elephants. "
Il didn't know they ever fought" in
terrupted novice in the Jungle.
lyon would know it if you ever saw two
tuskers' fairly at it," was the reply
They don't often do it; out when they
do, it Is battle to the death. One day,
in the hill country, saw such combat.
They were hard at it whel | came in
sight. They were on the hillside. One
of them, burly stout built beast with
short powerful tusks, was evidently get
ting much the worse of the scrimmage,
and the white and red burrows in his sides
plalxl indicated seams made by his an
tagonist's tusks. Blood was trickling
drwn his head and shoulders. On the
rise Of the hill was his enemy, still larger
animal, pos essing the advantage Of long
er tusks 1t was a lost fight. In a few
minutes the victor, with a quick rush at
the other, made good thrust at the side.
There was severe struggle, but the tusk
went its full lenght into the now beaten
brute, and using all its weight the victor
pressed him down the hill, where they dis
engaged themselves and prepared for an
other bout The wounded tusker's roars
Of pain were pitiful to hear. He turned
tail and sought safety in fight. But the
other kept close behind and gave him
thrust after thrust, but not in any vital
part. Pretty soon they wheeled around,
raced, and came together with a mighty
smash. This was about the only stand
made, and the beaten brute was quickly
overpowered by the more powerful and
fresher one. The thu now put behind
the shoulders and into the body quickly
disabled the poor brute, and in fact in d
few minutes the combat was over. The
couquerCr with one rush completely rolled
his enemy over, and by repeated thrusts
into the PROSTATE form finished the fight
amid moaning and trumpeting.
Il got some men and went out next
morning to look for the body and get the
tusks. We found big herd of elephants
where the finish had occurred. In it were
several small tuskers. besides the big con-
quer0r of the evening before. who seemed
W lHSGll d StcdG ucdi VI IedI lHlO luo
youngsters. He came out into the open
glade with fine young female, and as he
approached there was a general stampede
out Of his way. We came on the dead
beast, which had been butted and rolled,
1t was piled into clump of bamboos. it
had been a fine, burly animal, but was
marked from forehead to rear and top to
foot by rips and cuts. He measured 9
feet incheI at the shoulder and the tusks
proved slightly over 100 pounds the pair.
The victor, which in the fight appeared to
tower over his foe. must have been quite
ten feet high, and had the longest tusks
have ever seen clear of their sockets.
tried to get him, but what with his harem
abou. him and the difficulty of getting a
clear view in the long grass | failed to get
a shot.
Il 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 a real mad buffalo
There is no more savage brute, and none
more indomitable and persistent in his
wrath. 1t is not that they are swifter or
stronger or that their horns are a more
deadly weapon. But they display per-
tinacity of spite which makes them ex-
ceedingIy formidable. Let lion miss its
first spring and it will turn away-uDless
ravenously hungry-in Disappointment
and disgust from his intended victim. |
Lee a rhinoceros be wounded and unless
hemmed 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 secur-
ing revenge upon the hunter who had
climbed up it to escape his fury. The
natives have special plan of their own
for capturing them. They used to select
the special bull they wanted to kill and en-
tice or drive it from its companions. Two |
Or three of them would engage the ami
malls attention in front, leaping nimbly to |
one side to avoid his furious charges,
while another hunter undertook the risky !
job of creeping up behind and hanstring- I
ing the beast. They were generally sue
cessful, but many lives were lost every |
year in buffalo hunting, and the natives
themselves consider it the most dangerous
1uadruped N the forest"
But gon must go up through the Shan
country said soldier Of the British-Bur-
man army, ''to fad the greatest hunting
n the world. Go up to Lava"