The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1897-03-25

CicDhdilt hdiISHeu. WOulu uOb Dp
lieve that he had been there, but day
light proved to the contrary 1t was
soft ground and the prints of his feet
were SO deep that both natives de
clared be mad stood in one spot for
many minutes, perhaps half an hour.
We further found that The Wicked
had traversed a good part of the vii
lage, and that SO quietly thet not dog
bad given the alarm.
The natives of this valley had long
before resorted to pitfalls, traps. and
other practices in vogue, but all to no
| purpose. The white hunters had set
spring guns and even poisoned some
OF the pools where he was supposed
to drink, but The Wicked had out
wltted every move. | determined to
take up his track and follow it until
he was found. One of the natives re-
fused to enter the jungle for any price
L could pay,but the other had more
| pluck and agreed to stay with me. We
found the elephant had gone straight
into the jungle from the ravine, and
as the soil was moist from a recent
storm, the tracker had no difficulty in
following him for about five miles.
Then all evidences of the trail were
lost on rocky ground A wild elephant
moving through jungle generally
leaves plain path by breaking and
tramphng. II in retreat it looks as if
troop OF cavalry had forced its way
along. This fellow had moved as
cautiously as a deer, and no white
man could have followed him half a
mile.
AT the spot, where the trail was lost
there was an immense outcrop of rock
and, after looking around for three
hours without finding trace of foot
prints become heated and exhausted
and sat down for a pull at the water
bottle and bite to eat. The tracker
also refreshed himself, and then, while
had a smoke, he started off to search
anew on his own account. He had
not been out of sight more than five
minutes when | heard him shrek.
After running distance of 400 feet
! came to small dell or glade in the
jungle. About in the centre of this
lay the dead body of my tracker. 1t
could hardly be called a body; it was
rather mass of pulp. There was no
living thing IN sight, but there were
footprints to prove that the elephant
had been there. The Wicked'' had
been IN ambush behind large mass
OF rock. lie had only fifteen fest to
go to seize the unfortunate tracker,
and he had made short work of him
by trampling on him. l ran through
the forest IN several directions'perfect-
ly reckless Of the probability that the
elephant was ii ambush again, bat [
got no track or trace Of him. He had
vanished as silently and swiftly as
startled wolf
returned to my quarters beaten
and to learn two days later that the
elephant had killed one of the British
officers the day after killing my tracker
lie had ambushed him in the same
fashion and had torn him limb from
limb. 1t had now become utterly i'm
possible to hire native assistance. At
least no one would consent to beat up
the jungle with me. and | saw that /
must depend entirely upon my own
resources or leave the field In this
emergency | determined to meet The
Wicked with his own weapon -trickery
For several nights lie had not modest
ed any of the villages, but during each
day he had committed some depreda
tons. His last victim was woman,
and she was killed within two miles
OF where i was stopping. She was
working IN tiell with aheavy fringe
of bushes along the north side. The
elephant rushed out of cover and
killed her with blow of his trunk,
and was gone before the husband. who
was working 200 feet away, got the
alarm.
That night was dark and RAINY and
hired some of the natives to 90 with
me and prepared the plot. We dress
ed up lay figure to represent ryot's
wife IN the act of reaping grain. We
+ placed this about forty feet from the
bushes. Then at the edge of the bush
es and thirty feet away from straight
line to the dummy" we dug a rifle
PIT deep enough to hide me. Every
| care was taken to leave -othing by
which the elephants suspicious might
| be aroused, and as soon as the natives
retired | went to sleep. I neither
hoped nor looked for The Wicked
to appear during the night. If he did,
then ] should miss having q shot, and
he might even find me as I slept and
pull me out of the hole
This night passed without an alarm,
and l was awake when daylight came.
| had an English elephant gun carry
ing two-ounce explosive ball, and
knew that the elephant was my meat
if he appeared. Twas we'll covered
IN with bushes and branches, but had
peephoIes through which 1 could
clearly survey the field. 1t was nine
o'clock in the morning before any
thing moved, aid had l not beer
watching, The Widked" would have
played me sharp trick. He cams
out of the edge of the jungle just
where J. had hoped he would, but SC
quietly that but for seeing him could
not have credited his presence. He
covered the ground between the jun
gle and the lay figure at a swift pace
and 1t was not until he seized the
dummy that he suspected anything
He tossed it high in the air and wheel
ed to go back, and stood up and CAV,
him ball behind the shoulder, a.
he received it be wheeled and started
across the grain field, but l rolled hln
over before he had gone ten yards.
The tricky old beast was dead a
last, and he had been lured to de
structlon by one of the simplest plot
ever put in practice against him.
! had to walk around him three or fou
= times before | could realize that h
! had actually been downed Indeed
| until the natives began to gather an
rejoice over his death 1 was afrai
/ that l had missed the rogue" an
/ trapped some beast from a near b
L. r IL