Sharp County record., 1891-02-05
STORIES TOLD BY HUNTERS.
Elephants, Buffaloes, and Still More Savage
Man

Men.
There are few more thrilling
sights" said one of the veteran sports
men at the campfire, "than an elephant
fight. / don't mean fight with an ele-
phant, though that may be pretty thrill
ing to you, if you wound the brute
without disabling him and he gets after
you in the open. But | mean fight
between elephants"
81 didn't know they ever fought" in
terrupted the novice in the Jungle.
you would know it if you ever saw
two 'tuskers' fairly at it." was the re-
ply. They don't often do it, but when
they do it is battle to death. One day,
up in the hill country, saw such COM
bat. They were hard att when came
in sight. They were on the hillside.
One of them, burly stout-built beast,
with short, powerful tusks, was evil
IDENTITY getting much the worst of the
scrimmage, and the white and red fur
rows in his sides plainly indicated
seams made by his antagonists tusks.
Blood was trickling down his head and
shoulders. On the rise of the hill was
his enemy, a still larger animal pos
sessing the advantage of longer tusks.
1t was 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 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 were pitiful to hear. He turned
tail and sought safety in flight. But
the other kept close behind him and
gave him thrust after thrust, but not in
any vital part. Pretty soon they
wheeled around raced, and came to-
gether with mighty smash. This was
about the only stand made, and the
beaten brute was quickly overpowered
by the more powerful and fresher VIC
tor. The thrusts now put behind the
shoulder and into the body quickly dis
abled the poor brute, and in fact in a
few minutes the combat was over.
The conqueror with one rush complete
ly rolled his enemy over, and by re-
peated thrusts into the PROSTATE form
finished the fight amid meanings and
trumpetings.
II got some men and went out next
morning to look for the body and get
the tusks, We found big herd of ele-
plants in an excited state almost on the
spot where the finish had occurred. In
it were several small tuskers, besides
the big conqueror of the evening before,
who seemed to instil great deal OF
fear into the youngsters. He came out
into the open glade with fine young
female, and as he approached 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 a 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 proved slightly over one hun
dred 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 l
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"
81 don't know, though" said an old
hunter who had been in Africa, "but
that l 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 persist
ent in his wrath. 1t is not that they
are swifter or stronger or that their
horns are more deadly weapon. But
they display pertinacity of spite which
makes them exceedingly formidable.
Let a lion miss his first spring and he
will turn away-unless ravenously hun
gry-in disappointment and disgust
from his intended victim. Let a rhinoc-
eros 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 Sc.
curing his revenge upon the hunterwh
had climbed it to escape his fury. The
natives have special plan of their own
for capturing them. They used to Sc
lect the special bull they wanted to kill
and entice or drive it from its compan-
ions. Two or three of them would en-.
gage the animals attention in front,
leaping nimbly to one side to avoid his
furious charges, while another hunter
took the risky job Of creeping up be-
hind and hamstringing the beast They
were generally successful, but many
lives were lost every year in buffalo
hunting, and the natives themselves
consider II the most dangerous quadru.
ped in the forest. Chicago Tribune.
Painting II Red.
MANY stories have been told, each
o1n,o,inor 10 e,i,n IA, e,,,,.i,, - Al. -.