Washington sentinel., 1898-09-03
~, 49,, SENTINEL
Buried Alive BV Dead Elephant
,ESGs FoyEd Magazine.

contemplation that we should con-
Jointly make another trip into the
interior of Africa. But Cumming
changed his mind, preferring to re-
main at home with his exhibition,
but ne gave me many useful hints,
and, purchasing all ] required, l
set up as a professional hunter. l
bought two wagons and two teams
Of bullocks, and FIVE good horses,
went inland, and traded and hunted
for ten years. 1 was very lucky,
and by the sale ot ivory, hides,
horns and curios, | made sufficient
money to buy myself an annuity
which would suffice to keep me in
comparative affl fluence for the re-
msinder OF my life. But the devil
tempted me to take one more trip
before leaving Africa and settling
in Western Australia, as had de-
termined to do. was luckieT
than usual-had my wagons full,
and / was returning when the fly
appeared, and my cattle and
horses died of one by one. Form
ing a camp near water, and leaving
my wagons end men there, |, with
a gun. bearer. Sat nnt to. tTV and
reach a missionary station some
sixty miles off. and there get
span of cattle 10 remove my goods,
which were worth fully a thousand
DC unds. We had a dreary trudgs,
Tor people do not walk as a rule
in South Africa, and we subsisted
on what we shot. We had COM
pleted forty out Of the sixty miles,
and l hoped in another twentY-iour
hours 20 be at my destination. ThS
country was hilly, cut Up with
ravines, and most unexpectedly we
came upon ? herd of elephants. 1t
would have been as we'll if l had
[.G them alone. But l was covet-
Gus OF the worries carried by sew
eral OF the bulls, and killed three
and wounded fourth. This one
would not die. l had fred some
dozen bullets into him, but he
seemed to bear a charmed life. We
lost sight OF him among the kopjes,
and in tracking him up, he sud
denly charged down upon us. ]
escaped by throwing myselfbehind
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. / now
thought only Of the death OF the
monster, and Of avenging my toll
lOwer-but he led me long chase.
AT last, from the top OF an emf
= nence / saw him standing near
some rocks. evidently waiting for
me. / took the bearings, and by
walking round some outlying hill
locks l hoped to creep up neal
enough to administer a coup a.
grace. got to the place I wanted
TO all right. l was between two
rocks, and close by was a deer
trench, about 7 feet broad, which
/ could easily jump, but which
would stop any living elephant
/ was thinking OF advancing
when the monster evidently go
the wind oi me and charged head
long. / let him come within 6 oi
8 feet, and then let him have the
contents OF both barrels, anC
sprang backwards, intending tc
clear the trench-but my ioo
slipped and fell headlong into it
and in a moment / was in tota
darkness. was a good dea
shaken, and on recovering my lee
| found | was in a living grave
The walls were scarped granite
and the aperture above was CLOSED
BY the huge body of an elephant
who flleo it completely. lit ;
match to examine my position
more carefully. There was a 10
Of debris at the bottom Of tn,
trench and an inner cave-raiseC
above the other portion about two
ieet. For a wonder there was alsC
a small tricklIng stream which
flowed along on one side, disap
peaTing in assure at the extrem
itY. l collected the decayed deb
TiS and formed Of them severa
torches. To escape seemed i'm
possible-to move that mass o
flesh above would tax the strength
Of team Of cattls- alone coulc
not have moved it an inch.
/ was in the wilderness. TX
hope for help was futile-ther,
were no inhabitants. knew OF NJ
hunters living in the neiehbor
hood. The missionary / was abou
TO visit was fair sportsman and ;
lay brother, but he would not b,
likely to wander in these wilds, a.
he could get what game he re
quired within a mile or two OF the
station. / saw no prospect before
me but slow and painful death
+ The heat was sitting was
just enough air circulating to keeI
me alive. Still, / did not quit,
despair. Vultures would be at
tracted by the mass OF flesh, anC
perhaps induce some wandering
natives to follow them-then there
were lions, who would demolist
the flesh in few days, and l shoulC
be able to scramble out Of my liv
ing grave.
/ had a few biscuits in my pock
ets-whaL had become OF my riff,
/ did not know, as it was not in tn,
trench with me. My cartridge
lior breechloadeTs had Just beer
intToduced) were useless. Nj
flask contained some brandy. anC
il very hard up Tor food | coulC
cut a steak out oil the Goliath above