The Lamar register., 1895-01-05
THE GREATMYSTERY.
EXCITING ADVENTURES WITH
ELEPHANTS.
shooting From = skarm-savsd by
Hairs Breadth From Instant Death
After stx Year. One of the Brutes
Avenged n Grisvance-


lion, leopard and other animals is
more than usually accurate because
he takes nothing for granted and does
not rely upon legendary tictions.
The elephant is the great mystery
of mysteries which. OF course. he does
not solve. but he gives us new phases
o.. its character and endeavors to com
bat good many of the popularity sc-
cepted theories regarding this most
interesting OF animals.
Baldwin. Harris and few other
authorities report that elephants are
sometimes attacked by the black rhi-
noceros. but otherwise they have no
enemies except man In Sir james
Alexander's account (.EScursion into
Africa of the manner in which these
beasts attempt TO defend themselves
against the charge of an enemy of this
kind. it is implied tina, the trunk is
habitually used Extensively. In fight
ing the elephant he observes. the
two-horned rhinoceros. for no white
rhinoceros ever does this. avoids the
blow with his trunk, and the thrust
with his tusks. dashes at the elephant's
belly and rips 1t up
Apart from tho question whether
this kind OF combat ever takes place.
or what the result would be IL it did,
so many reasons exist why the trunk
should not be used like a iiail. as here
represented. that good observers have
failed to recognize the fact tina, i,
sometimes is so employed At all
events. in face of various assertions
to the effect that it never strikes with
its trunk. we find Anderson nearly
killed in this manner. He was shoot
ing from .skarm. that is to say, n
trench about four feet deep, twelve or
fifteen long, and strongly rooted ex-
cept at the ends This hiding place
and fortification occupied n narrow
neck of land dividing two small pools
the water holes of kabis in
light night and the hunter soon
heard the beasts coming along
rocky ravine 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. unsuspecting step In the
luminous mist their colossal figures
assumed gigantic proportions, but tho
leaders position did not afford an OPP
portunity for the shoulder shot and
Anderson waited until his enormous
bulk actually lowered above his head
was he says. that in the act of rails
ing the muzzle of my rifle over the
skarm, my body caught his eye. and
before | could place the piece to my
shoulder, he swung himself round.
and with elevated trunk and ears
spread. desperately charged me.
II was now too late "a
think of flight. much less
OF Staying the savage beast. Ny own
life was In the most imminen;
jeopardy; and seeing that If remained
partially erect he would inevitably
seize me with his proboscis, | threw
myself upon my back with some vio-
lence. in which position. and without
shouldering the rifle, fired upward at
random toward his chest, uttering a,
the same time the most piercing shouts
and cries. The change OF position in
all probability saved my life. for a,
| the same instant the enraged animal s
trunk descended precisely upon the
spot where | had previously been
crouched, sweeping away the stones,
many of them of large size. that
formed the front of my skarm, as II
they had been pebbles. In another
moment his broad forefoot passed
directly over my face Confused, as