The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1891-01-03
HOW ELEPHANTS FIGHT.
A.Terrible Battle to the Death Fought
by Two Monster Tuskers.

1t was my good fortune, writes a cor
respondent to Karachi paper, for some
years TO spend some months every season
IN fine forest and hill country, where
my duties gave me chances of seeing a
great deal of elephant, bison and other
Dig game that frequented those parts
Our camp was on a partially isolated
hill, good deal above the surrounding
country. We had been some DAYS in
camp, but had not been visited as usual
by our friends the elephants, when one
afternoon the sudden below of one, evil
IDENTIFY In pain, reused every one in the
camp. A hill man presently came up
to say that two large tuskers were hard
at it close by. Every one turned out
onto the hillside, from where it was
easy, even with the naked eye, to see
what was going on, while with glass
even the movements of startled deer
could be made out.
About 700 or 800 yards below the
crowd watching the fight were the two
tuskers. The one somewhat nearer us
"a burly, stout-built beast, with
short powerful tusks-was evidently get
ting much the worst Of the combat, and
the white and red burrows in his sides
and rear plainly indicated seams run by
his antagonists tusks. Blood could be
seen trickling down his head and
shoulders. Con- the rise of the hill was
his rival, still larger animal, possessing
the advantage of larger, cleaning tusks.
1t was lost fight, and in a few minutes
the victor, with Il quick rush at the
other, made a good thrust at the side
and, though there was a severe struggle,
the tusk went its full length into the
now beaten brute, and, using all his
weight, the victor pressed him down the
hill, where they Olsen; jagged themselves
and prepared for another bout.
The wounded tusker's roars of pain
and rage were pitiful to hear, and, though
he would have escaped if he could, the
other kept close behind and administered
thrust after thrust, but not in any vital
part. Presently, wheeling round, they
faced and came together with a mighty
smash. This was about the stand made,
and was quickly overpow cred by the
more powerful and fresher victor. The
thrusts now put behind the shoulder and
into the body quickly disabled the poor
brute, and in fact in a few minutes the
combat was finally over, the conqueror
with one rush completely rolling his
enemy over, and, by repeated thrusts
into the PROSTATE form, finishing the
fight amid meanings and trumpeting.
Next morning, on our proceeding to
look for the tuskers, we found large
herd in an excited state, almost on the
spot where the finish had occurred. In
it were several small tuskers, besides the
big conquerer of the evening before,
who seemed to instill great deal of fear
into the youngsters. He came now into
the open glade with fine young female,
and as he approached even the other
cows there was general stampede out of
his way.
We came on the dead beast, which
had been butted and rolled after it was
killed into clump of bamboos. 1t had
been fine burly ANIMAL but was marked
from forehead to rear and top to foot by
rips and cuts. He measured nine feet
six inches at the shoulder. and the tusks,
which were taken by the hill men,
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, hut what
with the difficulty of getting clear
view in the long grass, failed to get
shot. {.