The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1892-06-25
TAKEN BY SURPRISE.
An Elephant Hunters Perilous ADJ
venture in India.

Many of the British officers of the
sepoy regiments are mighty nimrods,
and some of the most exciting and hair
breadth escapes by field and flood have
been among their experiences. Some
years ago, among the officers of regi-
ment of the Royal Bengal infantry, was
Mai. Stevenson; bluff old Scotchman
who paid equal attention to Alsops' or
Bass bottled ale and the pursuit of the
mighty game, with which British Bur
nah, where he was then stationed,
abounded. And, although his devotion
to the bottle had rendered him corpu-
lent almost to obesity, he still delighted
as much as ever in hunting, and his
hand was as firm, his aim as true, as
in his best days. One bright cool
morning in the month of February, the
most perfect month in all the burmese
year, the OH major was encamped on
the banks of small tributary of the
great Sitang river, whittier he had
journeyed by boat on one of his numer-
Gus hunting trips For some reason
his Hindoo cook was slower than usual
in preparing the majors rice and curry,
anu d1OCl Vic 1d1J lCLON
inc Scotch blessing, the major con-
cluded to take light rifle and see if he
could not pick up jungle fowl for din
ner while his break ast was cooking.
His camp was under huge banyan
tree, which formed part of the fringe of
jungle, extending for few rods in
width along either side of the little
stream that has been mentioned. Be
You'd this fringe the broad rice or pad
dy'' fields stretched away, level as a
floor, to q steep range of hills several
miles distant. The rice had all been
harvested and the plains were bare,
save where numerous clunps of the
elephant bamboo were dotted over the
surface. These giant bamboos are a
foot or more in diameter at the base,
and frequently tower to height OF
more than one hundred feet, and as
they grow in compact groves, so close
together as to be impenetrable to any
thing larger than bird or snake, and
covering but a limited circle of ground,
they resemble at distance gigantic
shocks of grain, except that they are
crowned with great masses of the quiv-
ering bamboo foliage with which Japa-
nese art has made us familiar.
The major skirted along the outer
edge of the jungle for quite distance
without hearing or seeing anything in
the shape OF game, and was about re-
tracing his steps to his camp, when he
heard at a short distance ahead, the
crow of a jungle cock and Immediately
made all haste toward the sound.
Now, be it known that the majors
hunting ground was one of the most
frequented haunts in all Burmah for
wild elephants. Indeed, it was a
of this fact that had made
our doughty nimrod choose this partic-
ular region for his present excursion,
and it was his purpose to make search
for this royal game as soon as his
breakfast was dispatched. But when
the major hunted elephants he carried
a heavy Westly Richards, throwing an
ounce ball of hardened lead, and he had
trailers and native hunters to assist
him. The little rifle, now in his hand,
was mere popgun compared to his |
great elephant gum" and carried per-
haps sixty or seventy to the pound.
Intent on getting sh OF at the jungle |
fowl, the major fastened along and had
almost reached the spot where
in his mind he had decided that he |
would sight the still growing jungle
cock, when to his great disgust he
found his track crossed by q deep null
lab or ravine cut into the soft soil by |
The flood during the rainy season.
Cursing his luck he searched along the
edge of the ravIne for short distance
until he found spot where, with in
finite effort and loss of breath, he man
aged to lower himself into the nullah
on one side and raise himself to the
evel of the plain beyond.
As he Strengthened himself up, mop
ping the perspiration from his flushed
face, he heard slight noise, appar-
entity proceeding from clump of BAN
300 close by, and turning to see what
caused it, found himself face to face
With one of the largest bull elephants
lie had ever seen. The bull evidently