The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1895-02-22
THE GREAT MYSTERY.
EXCITING DvENTUREs WITH
ELEPHANTS.
'honting from skatm saved by
Hairs breadth From instant Death
tier STA Years one Of the Bruts.
Avenged Grievance.

:. llumpdcn rorter's study Of the
character aad habits Of the elephant
Lion leopard and other animals IL
moro than usually accurate because
he takes nothing for granted and does
NOT roly upon legendary fctlons.
The elephant Is the great mystery
Of mysteries which. Of course. ~ does
not solve. but he gives us new phases
Of its character aud cndeavor- to com
bat a good many oi the popularity ac-
cepied theories regarding this most
interesting Of animals.
baldwin, Harris and few other
authorities report that elephants are
sometimes attacked by the black rhi-
nocoros, but otherwise they have no
enemies except man. In Sir James
AleXandcr's account ('Excursion into
Africa ~ the manner In which those
beasts attempt TO defend themselves
against the charge Of an enemy Of this
kind. II Is implied that the trunk l.
habitually used Extensively In tight.
ing the elephant he observes. the
twO-horncd rhinoccros. for no white
rhinoccros ever does this. avoids the
blow with his trunk. and the thrust
with his tusks, dashcs at the elephants
belly and rips Il up
Apart from the question whether
this Kind ~ combat over takos place.
or what the result would be N II did.
80 many reasons exist why the trunk
should not bc used like Hall. as here
represented, that good observers have
failed TO recognize the fact that II
sometimes il 10 employed At all
events, In faco Of various assertions
10 tho eject that Il never strikes with
H. trunk, We find Anderson nearly
Killed In this manner. lie was shoot.
ing from u 'skarm. that Il 10 say. a
trench about four feet deep. twelve or
fifteen long. and strongly rooted OK
copt az the ends. This hiding place
aud fertilization occupied "a narrow
neck OF land dividing two small pools
tho water holes OF Kabis In
Africa. IL was magnificent moon.
light night and the hunter soon
heard the beasts coming along
rocky rayino near by. Directly. an
immense elephant. followed by the
towering forms Of eighteen other
bulls. moved down from high ground
toward his hiding place. with free.
sweeping, unsuspccting step IN the
luminous mist their colossal figures
assumed gigantic proportions. but the
leaders position did not afford an Cd.
portunity for the shoulder shot. and
Anderson waited until his .cnormou.
bulk actually lowered above his head
without firing. The consequence
was. he says. that In the act OF rails.
ing the muzzle Of my rifle over the
rkarm. my body caught his eye. and
before ! could place the piece TO my
shoulder. he swung himself round
and with elevated trunk aud ears
spread. desperately charged me.
IL was now too late To
think Of flight. much less
OF staying the savage beast. My own
life was In the most imminent
jeopardy; and seeing that II remained
partially erect he would inevitably
seize me with his proboscis. / threw
myself upon my back with some VIC.
lence, In which position. and without
shouldering the rife, fired upward at
random toward his chest, utterlng at
the same time tho most piercing shouts
and cries. The change OF position In
all probability saved my life. for at
the same instant the onraged animal
trunk descended precisely upoa the
spot where ! had previously been
crouched, sweeping away the stones,
many OF thom Of large size. that
formed the front Of my skarm. Us II
they had been pebbles. In another
moment his broad forcioot passed
directly over my face Confused. a.
Anderson supposed, by his cries. and
by the wound no had received, the
elenhant 'sworyed 10 the left. aud
went of with considerable rapldlty.r
"DEwes CSporilng In 10th Hemls.
pheros) relates one OF the many re-.
. liable incidents illustrative Of the
animals implacability when aggiieyed,
A friend Of hi, u field officer stationed
at Jaulnah. owned an elephant re-
markable for his extreme doclllty.
One Of the attendants not his ma.
hout lll-troatcd the creature and wa.
discharged In consequence. This man
left the station; but six years after he.
unfortunately for himself, returned.
and walked up to renew his acquaint-
anoe with the abused brute. who let
him approach without giving tho
leas, indication OF anger aud ~ soon
as he was close enough trampled him
TO death.
"A rogue who infested the Bala-
CHAT district is described by Baker a.
a captured elephant who. after con
siderable detention, ESCAPED TO the
forest again. DEMONSTRATION. he re-
marks, seems 10 have slarpened IL
intellect and exaggerated IL pow
ers Of mischief and cunning.
There was anRctual love OF homicide la
this animal lie continually changed
place. 80 that no one could foretell his
whereabouts, and approached those
a.