The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1891-01-31
HOW ELEPHANTS FIGHT.


lican.
HOW ELEPHANTS FIGHT.
A Terrific Battle to the Death Fought by
Two Monster Tuskers.
1t was my good fortune, writes cor
respondent to Karachi paper, for some
years to spend some months every sea-
son in fine forest and hill country,
where my duties gave me chances of see
ing a great deal of elephant, bison and
other big 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 after
noon 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 cloze 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 500 yards below the
crowd watching the fight were the two
tuskers. The one somew what nearer US, q
burly stout-built beast with short, pow
erful tusks, was evidently getting much
the worse OF the combat, and the white
and red burrows in his sides and rear
plainly indicated seams run by his an
tagonist's tusks. Blood could be seen
trickling down his head and shoulders.
On the rise of the hill was the rival.
still larger animal, possessing the ad-
vantage of longer, cleaning tushs. 1t
was lost fight, and in few minutes
the victor, with quick rush at the
other. made good thrust at the side.
and though there was 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 disengaged 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 II he
could, the other kept close behind and
administered thrust after thrust but
not in any vital part Presently wheel
ing round they raced and came together
with mighty smash. This was about
the only stand made. and was quickly
overpowered by the more powerful and
fresher victor. The thrusts made now
put behind the shoulder and into the
body quickly disabled the. poor brute,
and in fact in few minutes the COM
bat was finally over. tho conqueror
with one rush completely rolling his
enemy over, and. by repeated thrusts
ipts into the PROSTATE form. finishing
the fight amid meanings ard trumpet.
ings.
Next morning, on orr proceeding tc
look for the tuskers, we found
large herd in an excited state, almost
on the spot where the finish had oc-
CURED. In it were several good tusk.
ers. besides the big conqueror of the
evening before, who seemed to instill
great deal of fear into the youngsters.
He came now into the open GLAZE with
q fine young female. and as he ap-
preached even the other cows there was
a 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
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 mon, proved slightly over one hun
ared 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 about him. and the difficulty OF
getting clear view in the long grass,
failed to get shot Mes
senger.