The sun., 1901-08-04
BIG GAME SURE ENOUGH.
A Hunter Who Almost lnvariably Got IN
Elephant With Every Bullet.
From lhe London Globe

Writing OF the veteran officer. General
J. Michael, G y. J.. Of the Madras Stah
Corps, who was in his time noted ele-
phant shot. a correspondent OF tho Mddrds
Mail states tha. one Of Michael earli-
eat exploits inspired his native attend
ants with a wonderful amount OF oonf
dence In him, "a we'll II might. He get
among q herd Of elephants In very long
grass. and for some time could not got
a shot. A. last he got up to one. and. drop
ping It dead. jumped onto the body, and
with a second gun dropped two more ele-
plants before they had time to make on.
had heard il said OF Michael that he
was in the habit Of going out with three
double-barrelled guns. and had frequently
got Ave elephants in five shots, but could
never get the sixth. as he always made II
a rule TO keep one barrel in reserve.
had an opportunity Of asking him u this
were true I cannot recollect what he said
about having performed thi, feat more
than once. but he told me how he just
missed getting a sixth elephant out OF
herd through a mistake. He got up To q
herd In Jungle and commenced operatio ns
on a tu.ker that was standiny by a clu mp
Of bamboo. The smoke hung and ts could
not see wha' happened, but on The OF her
aide OF the clump Of bamboo he saw tusker
which he presumed was the one he had Just
fired at, 70 promptly dropped it. He had
got three more out OF the herd. and was
reduced to his last barrel, whom another
elephant, a tusker, think, gave him
very easy chance. which he could hardlv
have missed but he would not break his
rule. 40 let him 60 On returning TO tho
cump of bamboos he found two tuskers
dead, making five elephants in all. and
regretted he had not broken his rule for
once Think Of three brace Of elephants
for one days bag
The following Is the feat in the recol-
General himself finds most satisfaction
because he considers il showed thorough
knowledge Of the game: One day he was out
botanizng with a friend, and was un-
armed They heard elephants in a sholah
below and Michael sent bark for his rifles
On getting down into the shoah Michael
found his quarry was two tuskers, evidently
travelling one behind the other He inter
cepted them and had covered the leader
and was Just going to fire when IL flashed
through his brain that the second would
| escape him--greedy man He accordingly
dropped the hnderrnost elephant first, and
, as he anticipat ed. the leader wheeled around
| got blocked 10y his PROSTATE companion,
! and gave Michael time 70 lay him out beside
him-the two fell with their Iusks toge' her
Gen Michael shot the majority OF his
| hundred and odd elephants with a I4-bore
| which In the days OF muzzle leaders was
| the ordinary gun, Just as i2-bore Is now
| The ma ximum charge In the gauge Of his
| powder flask was five drams. bur when he
was loading for elephants he used to add a
! little more Compare this with the metal
and charges used for big game now! His
success IN this particular form Of sport
was due quite as much TO perfect
! knowledge OF the game a. 10 splendid shoot
| ing His directions FOR finding the way /,
| the brain OF an elephant were az follows
| Imagine ramrod there were ram
| rods in those days. PASSED from oarhole
To earhole through the elephants head,
and another hisecting IL vert cally; in
whatever position you may be, aim for
| this poin, cf bisection.- 7 have heard /,
said OF Michael that he used TO concen-
| trate his thought on this one imaginary
point, that he. in sort OF way lost sight
Of evervthing Else | presume that II goos
without saying that II you find yoursel
Is such a position that your gun cannot
penetrate TO the desired point you muat not
fire at all 10 the old davs wild elephants
wore looked upon as thing. 10 be got rib
Of and the government gave rewards for
! shooting them-I think u was % rupees
for n COW and 90 rupees for a W and
the tnsks were the property Of the shooter