The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1901-12-03
AN ELEPHANT EVERY SHOT.
Remarkable Shooting of an English
Army Ohicer in the Wfids
of India.


Gen. J. Michael, of the Madras
staff, in the British army, was in
his time one of the most noted ele-
phant shots among the English resi-
dents of India and his earliest ex-
ploits inspired his native attendants
with a wonderful amount of conf
dence in him as well it might. He
got among a herd of elephants in very
long grass and for some time could
not get a shot. At last he got up
to one and, dropping it dead, jumped
onto the body and with a second gun
dropped two more elephants before
they had time to make off, says
London exchange.
1t was said of Michael that he was
in the habit of going out with three
double-barreled guns and frequently
got five elephants in five shots, but
could never get the sixth, as he al
ways made it rule to keep one bar
rel in reserve.
An acquaintance says: II had an
opportunity of asking him if this
were true. / cannot recollect what
he said about having performed this
feat more than once. but he told
me how he just missed getting
sixth elephant out of a herd through
mistake. He got up TO herd IN
a Jungle and commenced operations
on a tuslxer that was standing by
clump of bamboo. The smoke hung
and he could not see what happened,
but on the other side of the clump
of bamboo he saw a tusler which he
presumed was the one he had just
fired at. so promptly dropped it, He
had got three more out of the herd
and was reduced 10 his last barrel,
when another elephant, a tusker, l
think. gave him a very easy chance
which he could hardly have missed,
but he would not break his rule, so
let him go. On returning 10 the
clump of bamboos he found two tusk-
ers dead, making five elephants in
all, and regretted he had not broken
his rule for once. Think of three
brace of elephants for one day.
bag,
"The following is the feat in the
recollection of which happen TO
know the general himself finds most
satisfaction, because he considers il
showed thorough knowledge of the
game: One day he was out botan.
izing with friend and was unarmed
They heard elephants in a sholah be-
low and Michael sent back for his
rifles. On getting down into the sho-
lah Michael found his quarry waa
two tuskers, evidently travelling one
behind the other. He intercepted
them and had covered the leader and
was just going 10 fire when ii flashed
through his brain that the second
would escape him-greedy man. He
accordingly dropped the hindmost
elephant first. and, as he anticipated,
the leader wheeled around and got
blocked by his PROSTATE companion
and gave Michael time to lay him out
beside him-the two fell with their
tusks together.
Gen. Michael shot the majority OF
his hundred and odd elephants with
a 14-bore, which in the days OF muz-
zle leaders was the ordinary gun.
Just as a 12-bore is now. The max
imum charge in the gauge of his
powder flask was five drains. but
when he was loading for elephants
he used to add a little more. Com
pare this with the metal and charges
used for big game nowl His SUCCESS
in this particular form of sport was
due quite as much to a perfect
knowledge Of the game as 10 splen-
did shooting His directions for find
ing the way to the brain of an ele-
phant were as follows:
"'Imagine a ramrod (there were
ramrods in those days. passed from
earhole to earhole through the ele-
plants head and another bisecting
it vertically; in whatever position you
may be. aim for this point Of bisection.'
/ have heard il said Of Michael that
he used to concentrate his thought
on this one imaginary point. that he.
in a sort of way. lost sight of every
thing else. / presume that IL goes
without saying that II you find your
self in such a position that your gun
cannot penetrate the desired point
YOU must not fire at all. In the old
DAYS wild elephants were looked
upon as things to be got rid Of and
the government gave rewards for
shooting them-I think it was 60