Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1898-12-02
! Thrill HUNT.

HR
Va 81 8 trip through South Africa when
II met with the flowing adventure which
cost me both 81 legs and came near costing
me my life. Il was four days since 4 I'D
left the last mission station and during eh9fE
time ] had met with the loss 81 span u
cattle, which i should not have regretted
10 much had my store 81 goods not been COM
sstantly Increasing q % usually The case With
the South African trader. i vas IN the
midst az what va pract ically ! jungle; ny
men were worn out with the hard labor q
carrying the immense amount Of goods
which should have been borne BY the cattle ]
had lost; there was no human being around
me that would Or could furnish me with the
necessary baaata ands it, became absolutely
5necessary for me to stop until the cattle
could be procured or leave my goods to the
mercy Of the wild beasts and almost equally.
wild natives. 5=s.a. ~. ~.
Forming camp near water, and leaving
my wagons and men there, l, with gun.
bearer, set out to try and reach missionary
station some 60 miles off, and there get
span Of cattle to remove my goods, which
were worth fully 81 900. We had dreary
trudge, for people do not walk, as . rule, in
South Africa, and we subeisted on what We
shot. We had completed 40 out OF the 20
miles, and hoped in another "a hours to be
at my destinations. The country was billy,
cut up with ravines, and most unexpectedly
we came upon a herd Of elephants. 1t would
have been as well if had left them alone.
But was covetous of the worries carried by
several of the bulls, and killed three and
wounded q fourth: This one would not die.
Ishad fired some dozen bullets into him, but
he seemed to bear charmed life. We lost
sight of him among the "kopjes, and in
tracking him up, he suddenly charged down
upon us. ! escaped by throwing myself be.
! hind some creepers, but my gun carrier stood
in his path and fired both barrels of my
heavy rife into his head. Before the smoke
cleared away my poor attendant was a
shapeless mass Of clay. Inow thought only
Of the death Of the monster, and of avengins
my follower-but he led me q long chase.
At last, from the top of an eminence saw
him standing near some rocks, evidently
waiting for me. l took the bearings, and
by walking round some outlying hillocks ]
hoped to creep up near enough to admins
ter coup de grace" / got to the placs
I wanted to all right. l was between two
rocks, and close by was a deep trench, about
seven feet broad, which could easily jump,
but which would stop any living elephant.
was thinking of advancing, when tho
monster evidently got the wind of me and
charged headlong. I let him come within
six feet or eight feet, and then let him have
the contents of both barrels, and sprang
backwards, intending to clear the trench
but my foot slipped and fell headlong into
it, and in moment was in total darkness.
was good deal shaken, and on recovering
my feet I found | was in living grove. The
walls were scarped granite and the aperture
above was closed by the huge body of the
elephant, who filled it completely. / lit .
match to examine my position more careful
w. There was lot of debris" at the bot
tom of the trench and an inner cave-raised
above the outer portion about two feet.
For wonder there was also aSsmall trick
ling stream which flowed along on one side,
disappearing in a fissure at the extremity.
: collected the decayed "debris" and formed
of them several torches" To escape seemed
impossible-t move that mass Of. flesh above
would tax the strength of team Of cattle
I alone could not have moved it an inch. :,
& Twas in the wilderness. To hope for help
was futile-there were no inhabitants. !
knew of no hunters living in the neighbor
hood. The missionary was about to visit
was fair sportsman and lay brother, but
he would not be likely to wander in these
wilds, as he could get what game he re-
quired within q mile or two of the station.
saw no prospect before me but slow and
painful death. The heat was stiding-thers
was just enough air circulating to keep me
alive. Still, I did not quite despair. Vul-
lures would be attracted by the mass OF
flesh, and perhaps induce some wandering
native to follow them-then there were
lions, who would demolish the flesh in a few
days, and l should be able to scramble out
of my living grave.
I had few biscuits in my pockets-what
had become of my rife did not know, as it
was not in the trench with me. My cart
ridges (for echloaders had just been in
troduced) were useless. My flask contained
some brandy, sand if very hard up for food
could cut a steak out of the Goliath above
mel cleared out the cave, which ran I'M
derground about eight feet. l had to be
careful with my matches, for had only one
box with me, and. it was hard to distinguish
day from night, except by the weird cries
of jackals, hyenas, and other wild beasts.
could hear the rush Of wings, and knew that
the obscene birds were collecting in their
thousands, but even they with their power.
full beaks could make no impression on the
pachydermatous hide until decay set in.
was in sort of stupor. heard no lions
roaring, but the snarling of hSenas was in.
cessant, and whilst it lasted knew it waa
night. Ny biscuits We're soon exhausted -
fortunately the rill of water was sweet and
cool. s...@.-.= ...5.= E = .r=<.-e
At last, pressed by hunger, with my
"shikar" knife I cut out piece Of the flesh
above me and sbroiled it in the embers of a
fire lit out OF the debris, = but the smoke
nearly blinded and choked me, and the
stencil sickened me; the meat was 50 tough
and nauseous that could not swallow it.
At last / heard lions roaring, and report
above me convinced me that the body, ex-
tended with gas, had burst. Now all the
quadrupeds and bipeds could devour it; but
would they do 50 in time to save my life? ]
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