The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-08-16
A FIGHT WITH AlTUSKER
LIVELY JUNGLE CHASE AFTER A
ROGUE ELEPHANT IN INDIA.
Two Bullets Ended His Ca
reer-He Was an Outcast of the
Jungle and Well Disposed OF.
American Field.

80
planter. No doubt. there was money to be
made out of the ':biz.'' as some of you
across the pond would put it: the life was
a wild. jolly. rollicking one; it was also in
dependent. Withal. you wanted a large
stock of philosophy when you awakened of
a morning 10 find the hard and loving labor
of weeks, perhaps months. pitilessly de-
stroyed Naughty elephants, audacious
bears and wild boars. even shy, but de-
structive samburs-these were some of the
many visitations of the "siller-seeking'' ex-
lie. The elephants We're about the worst.
They infested the dense inner jungle and
forest tracks OF Wainaad, and in the course
of their periodical rambles they were wont
occasionally to visit the native villages and
European plantations aud do incalculable
damage before saying goodbye.
One particular night, during the 'wee
sma' hours ayont the twal." I was rudely
awakened by a most unearthly screaming
and yelling and ~trumpeting just below my
bungalow, and. on rushing out TO ascertain
the cause of the hullabaloo. / saw a huge
black monster of an elephant boiling. full
tear, past my grounds. He was off like
creased lightning past my lines and gar
den. and out into the wild country beyond.
On looking about, 1 found TO my intense
disgust and dismay that the rogue ele-
plant, as it was, had knocked down the
coolie lines as though they were so many
nine-pins, sending the Canarese men, wom-
en- and pickaninnies yelling all over the
shop. But this was not an. Ny splendid
nursery, over which i had spent so much
labor and patience. and on which l had
built big hopes, was rampled up beyond
all earthly recognition.
Now. a rogue elenhant is a very IShmaP1
Of his tribe. He is an outcast who has been
driven out from the herd to lead a solitary
life, in the course of which he proves him
self more than usually cunning and as
vicious and ferocious as you could imagine.
To deal with him. therefore. requires all
the nerve and skill and taxes all the re-
sources of the hunter. On the eventful
night / allude TO, although there was a
bright moon shining. i could do nothing TO
the intrusive pachyderm, for the rapidity
Of his movements precluded the chance of
my being able to get out my gun in time
TO have a shot at him. But he had gotten
my Scotch blood up, and | swore | would
follow his spoor the next day and find him
cost what it may. Either he or l must get
smashed.
PREPARING o THE CHASE.
/ rose betimes. got hold of a couple of
plucky little .'shikaris'' or hunters-good
crackers, and to be relied upon in a scrirn-
mage-and taking my servant with light
provisions to last a couple of days
started OH my cApeulliOH-
From the plainly visible spoor 1 could
clearly see that my enemy was a veritable
monster, for his stride was remarkably
long; and. judging from his endeavors TO
root up a young fruit tree, / could also
conclude that he had a very formidable
pair of tusks. worth a big effort to secure.
Proceeding along the line of the sDoor
discerned that the enemy had gotten over
HIGH Ia nd mot far from the MIA ntS fiOn
and then had made his way into a belt of
dense jungle land. 1 knew then that We
had a stiff job before us. for. as you will
admit, it is no child's play to follow up a
vicious rogue elephant into the unknown
and painless depth of a dense tropical for
est with a heavy underground Oh bamboo.
and rattan, and all sorts of noxiouS creep
ers, and tight the brute in there. Yet, on we
trudged. manfully. my loyal little crackers
and my faithful "chokra" teervanD keep
ing up piucklly.
We rested at noon for a meal and a
smoke, and after an interval TO brace up
off we started again. Evening came down
on that great forest, which We had now
fairly entered, ana still we seemed as tar
away as ever from our gigantic foe. The
short twilight soon gave way before the
light of millions OF twinkling stars and a
little later a beautiful bright moon came
out and cast a radiance over the solemn
foreign depths, Transforming them as ii by
magic into an exquisiteiy beautiful fairy
land, such as We see but in dreams. Count
less deniZens Of the insect world came out
of their silence and started buZzing on all
sides. Weird cries of wild beasts, the eerie
songs OF night birds, and low, omlnous
growls and grunts echoed and re-echoed in
the long, deep, shadowy forest avenues.
Now and then the wild dogs started a iend-
ish yell, now and then the bell note of the
Meeting Sambur glfded on the SlumbrouS
breeze, or a ~scrunching of the thick
masses of reeds warned us that some great
chieftain of the forest was breaking his
pndisputed way through the low jungle.
1t would have been sheer madness 10 go
further. so we agreed TO spend the night
where we were: and strong, but safe, If
rough, filters were constructed among a
coupe of trees for the purpose; and thus
we passed the night In that perllous and
turns for the foe, but he did not show up.
Though our beds We're not exactly of down
and our pillows were pretty hard. we rose
thoroughly fit and refreshed, and having
made and partaken of coffee. and INDUCED
In a few biscuits and some dried meat. We
started onward determined mere than ever
to find our foe and speak to him In the
deadly language of powder and lead.
The crackers said that the gods were in
good spirits that morning. and we would
go home triumphant. i hoped so. But, just
then. / had enough to do in getting through
tangled masses OF thick, gigantic creepers.
1t was hard work, but the continuous state
of excitement impelled me on. Suddenly,
the foremost of my hill men-he was
alongside me-with that instinct so char
acteristic of all children of the forest,
| lOu(nBu Ilt III III SDOdtttl dtu
He is in the neighborhood. be very eau
tious."
I took his advice, but ] am blowed if I
knew what direction TO look for the foe.
Into a particularly thick and impenetrable
patch of shola just in front of us, TO the
left. my hill man started, and / did my
level best TO keep up with him In and out
we crept through the thick net of reeds
and rattans. and creepers. Inch by inch we
crept along, our guns having TO be borne
with the utmost care. As regards the
whereabouts of the tusker ] was still ig-
norant. i trusted my -shikari' to eiilight-
en- me at the right moment. The breeze
was in our favor, so we were not afraid of
the monster getting scent of our approach.
Like snakes We glided on f,eaithily, my
heart beating loudly. while wicked gnats
and fendish mosquitoes made savage on
siaughts on my poor face. already bruised
and knocked a good bit out of shape by
those vile thorny creepers. At length the
patch suddenly grew a little more open.
when we reached il, just by a little swamp
of water. Suddenly my man gripped me
light on the arm and simply said:
Look up and get ready 10 fire.
This recalled me TO the very important
fact that not only had l 10 contend with
the unfriendly jungle, but ] had also to
make preparations TO confront a far more
serious difficulty. i contrived TO get on INV
legs and steady myself a bit. Looking
ahead in the direction MooDen. my track
er. had indicated, what should l see but
my huge. fierce monster of an enemy. right
IN the ceptar of a neighborfnp match 1lar.