The National tribune., 1899-09-14

trailing this fierce yet wary brute from
place to place, now brought US into region
wholly unknown. forbidding and desolate
beyond description. Moreover, every shi-
kari then believed that evil spirits were
thwarting our search; they secuted the idea
of any elephant acting like this one did
without being assisted by demons.
Surely, said Khudeck, voicing their
opinion. the heavenborn We're familiar with
witch-tigers who vanished when marked
down and appeared in different spots at the
same time. Verify he hoped to be grilled
forever if it was & falsehood to say this
accursed had been doing the same thing.
Had We not seen that ourselves, and how
could such miracles happen except through
internal magic? II.
Superstitious fancies on the part of
Hindus were not surprising, for heat,
fatigue and thirst are very disheartening,
and nothing but perfect equipment, sup
piemented by unceasing care, carried our
party through those hardships and dis
appointments we had thus far met with.
Trusting to information gathered here or
there, the rogue led us up and down among
savage gorges, over barren sleeps, into
glowing passes where the abomination of
desolation reigned supreme.
AS a rule we kept his trail, but when lost
there was often much trouble in recovering
it, and once our search failed entirely, so
that only intelligence from natives put us
on the right track again. This wandering
beast frequented spots which Indian ele-
phants generally shun. 1t was necessary
for it TO seek food in clumps of forest land find
water; yet large woodlands were avoided,
and the brute rushed about through red
hot ravines in an inexplicable manner.
It seemed to those wearied people who
tagged after him, as if this creature never
stopped. Animals of the kind are pro-
verbally restless; nevertheless, there was
something in his constant change of place.
and the certainty with which he vacated
localities where we expected to find him,
that gave an appearance of probability to
our shikaries' theory Of supernatural in
tervention.
Several marches beyond the Gond village,
however, We made a discovery which re-
vived us considerably: he had a desperate
fight with another tusker and got badly
hurt. Male elephants are very quarrel
some among themselves: not only is any
lost or sociably inclined stranger seeking
to join herd most commonly repeIled with
violence, but its own members constantly
exhibit an amount Of turbulence and i'll
temper rarely seen in vegetable-eating
species.
Every great elephant stable has an ac-
knowledged champion that is let loose upon
furious bulls when milder measures fail
and those duels which ensue often end
fatally as did the one our enemy enga ged
in. Tracking him through ravine OPEN
ing into an eXpanse OF tree and brush
jungle, we found that he had encountered
some solitary tusker at its edge and at
tackled the newcomer instantly.
An entire history of what happened was
stamped upon the spot. Their tramplings
showed every movement they made; how
the combatants stood before engaging, how
these fierce brutes charged, wheeled, and
strove head 10 head, until that one we We're
pursuing broke tusk off short. It was all
over with his adversary then. Such an
accident obviously gave him immense ad-
vantages.
Sanderson, than whom no man could
speak more authoritatively, says CThirteen
Years Among the Wild Beasts Of 1ndia)
that Superiority among tuskers appears to
be in proportion 10 the size of their tusks";
while an elephant having but one, is "un-
disputed lord" among his associates.
Naturally, as means Of offense, it must
be far more deadly; as the single weapon
acts like sword or lance, and penetrates
easily. In this case the rogues opponent
saw how lie was overmatched and tried to
escape; but probably being weak from
fatigue and loss of blood. the other over
toolhim, goring this. unfortunate creature
in many places before final thrust pierced
the heart.
Unfortunately for us lie had been killed
at least u hours before we arrived, and with
that start his conqueror may have got 25 or
30 miles away. 1t depended, however,