The National tribune., 1899-08-17
DISSOLUTION

this massive shape grew paler IS lights
shifted, until at times it became almost in
visible again.
| How to get at him became the question;
tbecause one might as well have fired into a
| hill as pulled trigger while he remained in
| that position; moreover the wind made an
! attempt to creep round for front shot per-
| fectly hopeless, and it SO happened that
There was very little cover on either side
| Where the remainder Of this herd ri igHt be
tnobodE knew. Elephants always scatter
when they come to rest, so it was very de-
] Sirable to get that particular tusker if pos
sible. While considering pros and cons,
the situation settled itself without reference
! to any deliberations upon orr part.
| Without warning, without an indication
of any kind to lessen the effect of such an
lapparition, tall bull Elephants head sud
denly appeared before our faces. That
dense brake he looked out of stood hardly
20 PAGES away from where we crouched
AT first it seemed as if he had discovered
us; but his small hazel eye was dull, the
great ears tapped idly, and a dropping
trunk swung heavily to and fro Every
brute remained wholly unconscious that
its enemies were near. 1t is no disparage-
ment of such an animals senses to say so;
sight cannot penetrate an Opaque screen,
odors will not float against the wind, still
ness is inaudible. There, however, was a
trophy in tuSks any sportsman might have
coveted, and the shot left nothing to be de-
sired, except, perhaps, some place Of refuge
if it failed. That did not befall; had he
been struck dead by lightning dissolution
could not have occurred more instantane-
ously
At the explosion IS or 16 full-grown ele-
plants instantly went mad.
They always do; but now they were
trapped, though we did not know this herd
| had gathered on a kind Of cape, three parts
guarded by an impossible gorge
Only our thin line cut them off from the
forest; there could have been no difficulty
in breaking through; nevertheless an at
tack OF violent delirium is invariably first
| i'll order with these creatures when terrified,
and their frantic behavior, the shrieks,
roars, and rendings they tup; that blind
ing dust in whose midst everything rocked
as if fierce whiriwind We're tearing the
place to pieces, were positively overwhelm-
ing. Terror soon turned into rage, how
ever, as is customary with wild beasts;
| Furthermore, when these brutes began TO
hunt us, affairs took an unpleasant turn
| According to the precedents in such cases
one should have fired right and left when
ever a shot offered; but it is pleasant to
remember that nothing Of this kind was
done. The party, none of whom were in
jured, took up various positions and waited
for results. 1t was perfectly plain that
! these elephants must soon break ont, and
| that when one or two dartcd away their COM
panionS would follow. In the interim n
man got ready to fight if he had to, and
kept quiet.
People who object 10 taking risks of this
kind have no business in jungles.
| A very remarkable incident marked the
close of that days sport. Several animals
had escaped, and the herd, having come to
!: their senses sufficiently to see they might
(: do 50 also whenever it pleased them, were
+: following. One of this crowd, somewhat
!: separated from the rest, rushed directly
/: towards that spot where a gun-bearer lay
: ensconced between two fallen trees. He
!: had the heavy rifle entrusted to him. and
(: being fustered, or probably under an
/: erroneous impression of this creature s
+: intentions were entirely confined
F.: to making an exit-hc fired upward as the
+: beast strobe over his body Both Selous
:: and DIR. Anderson shot at elephants while
/: under their feet; but Intellectually so far as
!: killing them was concerned. In this case,
!: however, his ball entered far back, and
f: passed upward between the jaw bones into
{: the brain, causing instantaneous DEATH
(IO be coutInued)