The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-04-01
HIS FIRST ELEPHANT HUNT.
BIG GAME IN A JUNGLE OF csYLoN.
some sport OF n Highly Exhiiarating Char
aotor-A Splendid specimen of the Mon
ster Paohyderm TracGsd and FL
nniiy Drought Down.


spirited article by Macmahon Challinor
entitled "How Shot My First Elephant"
II Is descriptive OF hunt in Ceylon, and
the story OF the final experience runs
thus:
II must be 10 or IL o'clock. We have
crawled ten or twelve miles. / can't go
on much longer. Heat Why, the peiSpir-
alton was pouring out OF us; our clothes
were wringing wet. The only thing that
did not look as II il was dying was the old
chap in front OF US. He had not turned
hair, and his tracking now was wonder
ful indeed. Not a sign, or track, or
broken branch, or anything could
| SEQ but on he went slow
ly-because locomotion had 10 be slow In
such stuf-but with most wonderful GER
tainty, as though he saw the elephant H.
self ahead of him. So we went on and on,
from bad 10 worse, for another two hours
or so, and then he suddenly stopped.
ran into III" Vellian, OF course, dashed
the rifle into the same hole which he had
almost jabbed right through me by this
time. No one could see, and any stoppage
in front meant collision along the whole
line.
For hours | had been carrying a ten.
pound rifle, and had realized the earnest.
ness of life. l had made up my mind that
once through with my first elephant the
rest were sale. Never, no never, not for
the finest tusker, would again 20 through
all the agony had been enduring since
o'clock. Yes, my mind was fully made
up, this was my first and last elephant. /
had thought OF nothing but this determin-
alton for hours, when this sudden stop
page took place
"What is up? Is he there?" This was
the expression on every face. AL my
keenness was back. l felt equal to any
thing.
al" and Bohomo-Hondi hold a whis-
pered coniab and | almost kill myself in
my efforts to hear what it is all about
Not n word can l make out. The excite
ment is intense. Quite too awful. Then
the old man disappears In the under
growth, gliding awav like n snake, without
the slightest sound or effort, the under
growth closing behind him, leaving not q
sign of him.
Crawling up to 81" whisper "What
is it?" Ssh sh !" says ID Now, my
whisper had hardly been a whisper
had looked 1t more than anything, and 10
be met with a scowl and sh was feariully
irritating. al" then went on to whisper
something, but what on earth he said
could not make out, for just then my hat
brushed against tree, drowning all other
sounds. Having recovered this shock,
again looked what is it?" Thump came
something in the small o. my back, and
glazing around, see my faithful Nelian.
also looking What is it?" He, too, had
ictn al oil
At this moment the righteousness OF the
whole thing burst upon me. l could not
help laughing. Selling my handkerchief
l stuffed it into my mouth. Stop laugh
ing l could not. The agonized expression
on us" face was terrible. Throwing my
self on the ground buried my face in my
arms, but whenever L looked up and saw
the perspiring face, protrudent eyes, and
woe-begone appearance of the coolies and
the intense anxiety depicted on "L's" face
lest nv giggling should be heard. off l
went again into paroxysm after paroxym
of laughter. Looking up on one of these
occasions l saw Bohomo-Hondi, who had
returned as quietly as he had gone, staring
at me with the utmost contempt and an
almost ficndish look of rage. / saw the
old chap had lost all respect for me, and
this stopped my giggling fit. 'One must
brake"
THE rogue was here, had been lying
down, but seemed restless and had got up
and gone on" said the old chap in whis-
perevidently implying that was the cause.
what do you propose ?" said IL" II
think / know where he is going and we
must make a detour and cut him OFF. He
has gone to the river" said Bohomo-Hon-
di. THAT is just as well, (" said al, "for
i would not 90 near him in this jungle"
"Ne, me-" mumbled the old man in a
doubtful way. (No, no, nor he either,
that was very certain
We now turned TO our right, and after
some time in the same sort of going we
had been having so much OF we struck a
ridge with a very decent game track on
it. Here one could walk upright and in
comparative comfort The jungle got
more open as we went along, and presently
we struck on an old, abandoned paddy
field; not house to be seen; everything
growing up into jungle.
"The people arc al dead-fever," said
the old man with the greatest unconcern.
And wondered how many villages he
had seen pass away. From his age, which
might have been centuries, but more for
his utter unconcern, | came 20 the con-
| cusion that he must have seen many.
| He seemed to think nothing whatever
| OF il.
Crossing this woebegone and forlorn
village we hated and the old man said he
would 90 and reconnoiter and see if the
'rogue" had not stopped at the old tank
here before going on as far as the river.
The tank in all probability was dry, but
| still might have a little water in it, suffi-
cient TO tempt the elephant down, he
| thought; so off he went TO see, we sitting
down meantime. "The tank is just here;
the old man won't be more than five min
utes." whispered a."
Visions OF water, cool, refreshing water,
| floated before me, when "Enawa manhat-
mayia"-the old man was back. The
"rogue" was there. He was down in the
tank and seemed very restless: we had
better come quickly. Taking up a handful
of sand, the old chap, holding his hand
aloft, let il slowly pour away, observing
most carefully which way the wind car
ried it. To me- uninitiated, there did not
appear to be breath of wind, but he
made up his mind at once that we must
go round Trudging off, we once more
crossed the abandoned paddy field and.
entering the jungle, crept stealthiy along.
| Presently / heard something. 1t
was not my confounded hat this