The Worthington advance., 1900-03-23
Watching a Troop Of
Elephants by Moonlight
EFT me endeavor to describe th
BY E. Vaughn Kirby.
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EFT me endeavOr to describe the
Il camp and its surroundings. so that
the reader may become participator
in the thrilling events, and share in
imagination the feelings of awe and
wonderment with which l gazed upon
scene suchsas few hunters have wit.
messed. A clear. limpid stream, 20
yards wide, flowing over smooth
sandy bottom. between low banks COW
cred with reeds, ten to twelve feet in
height. On the right bank the reed
fringe, dense but narrow. separates the
stream from a wide level terrace. cov-
cred with short grass, struggling bush.
and here and there q fine spreading in
chenga tree. This terrace-which in
flood time is covered with water-runs
back for u distance of 30 yards to the
real food bank of the stream. 20 feet
above its present level. On the top and
edge of the bank: under shelter of
huge inchenga, NY camp is pitched.
Forest trees surround it, and in the
branches of those nearest to the tent
are. hung masks and skins dry or dry
ing, skulls and horns finding rest
ing place in some trees at greater dis
tance from the tent, while ON plat
form of logs. under . grass thatch. is
4 pile of tusks. Beyond camp stretches
an extent of park-likc forest Across
the river there is no open bench be-
tween it and the flood bank but a broad
and almost impenetrable area t,f reeds.
growing on the sandy ridges and in tn.
intervening hollows, through which at
times branches of the stream flow.
Above, on the opposite high bank, the
forest is excessively dense, full of low,
thick jungle, and lacking the park-li
appearance of the country on the
right bank. In the light of day the
viewis color-scene of great brilliancy.
for 1t is now nearly midsummer, and
the green reeds are in flower, the aca-
cias In blossom. and hung with sweet
scented balls of pink and gold flowers,
many of which give forth delicious
perfumes, are spread in clustering
spangles through the vivid green of
y
OF color from the larger trees.
The forest itself is wealth of TO-
liage and color, to which my descrip-
tive powers cannot do justic. Brilliant
! butterflies fit from flower to flower,
while every now and then black and
yellow swallow-tail darts through the
forest openings, skimming past the
tent into the forest beyond. and drag
on-flies of startling color dart on gauzy
wings among the reeds. Kingfshers
seek their food among the arching
branches, sweet-voiced birds at morn
and evening court admiration, while
myriads of insects swell the murmur-
ing voices of these solitudes even in
the intense heat Of monday. But now
the sun has set in the glowing west,
and the threatening thunder-clouds
nave passed away; the troops of the
''monkey-people" have drunk their fill
and sought their resting places among
the topmost boughs in the forest;
doves have cooed their evening lula
by, and francolins uttered their CHEEKY
good night: the brief twilight is past.
and the moon is over all. hanging like
silver shield in g sky of blue, stud
ded with stars. whose brilliancy the
.dweller in northern ATTITUDES cannot
: know. In the open it is still as light
as day, but in the shadows is the dark
ness of night. 1t was moonlight
night, such rs might be experienced in
any other part of the tropical zone.
y and confirmation was yet required that
the scene was that of q hunters camp
in the wilds of Africa. About 9:3Op
m. had finishe ID the various little du-
ties which have to be attended to in
q camp after the days sport is over.
had cleaned my rifles, written up nv
diary, and, having smoked my evening
haif-Pipe Of tobacco, had turned into
my mosquito-net. both ends of the tent
remaining open. Perhaps there was less
talking among the boys that night-at
any rate the camp seemed quieter than
usual-andinh half an hour was asleep.
Suddenly awoke. conscious that a
loud. hoarse sound like-yet unlike
that made by lion when seizing it's
prey. was ringing in my ears, followed
by q rush, a crash and plaintive cry,
such as buffalo calf utters when
deprived of it's dam. sprang up in
, my cot, listening, and saw dark form
creeping toward the tent, and then
Dolambi, one of the carriers, crouched
at the open doorway. "A lion, master;
q a lion! It has caught buffalo!" he
Whispered excitedly. We listened again
n mo longer could we hear the bleating
cry, but twice or thrice cultural sounds
were borne on the gentle wind. I
jumped out. counting the attacks Of
1nyriads of mosquitoes. which pierced
through and through my pajamas. and,
1fsking refuge in the smoke Of the fires
with the awakened natives, listenedin-
tenaely. The sounds appeared to EN-
.anate from spot about mile up the
river, and the boys said that a couple
.Df lions had seized young buffalo
sat of . troop in the reeds, and, hav-
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