Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1904-01-05

three Of the survey men landed to
stir up a big rhinpceros who could be
seen standing under tree half al mile
back from the, water. They were young
fellows and full of daring. and / heard
the captain caution them when they
| left the steamer
We could see all that subsequently
| took place, The old rhino had never
seen a steamer before, but he wasn't
bit curious. II he had ever seen
hunters before he had no fear of them.
He Just stood there in the shade, bows
on to us, and didn't trouble to figure
out what might happen. The three
men separated on landing to get in
the rear of the big beast and cut off
his escape, but he wasn't thinking of
running away. He let two of the men
! creep up till within range, and 1t SEEM
ed to us as IL we heard the thud of
their bullets when they struck against
his thick hide. They were ounce bull
let's, driven by big charges of powder,
but they might as well have been fired
against a stone wall The rhino gave
a start as they struck him. and then
tail. and he charged at the man who
was creeping head on.
THE surveyors had made mess
of the thing, and there was bound to
be a calamity. They had taken the
rhino for a noodle head. whereas he
knew his business to dot. The man
at whom he charged had no cover ex-
cert here and there a bush. l don't
know whether he should have run to
the right or left or stood still, but
what he did do was to fling down his
gun and make back for the river. He
had pretty near half mile to go. and
he was good Splinter, but that rhino
had full head of sail on him.
He came on like a ship running
before a hurricane, and about ten rods
from the bank he overlook the fleeing
man and tossed him ten feet into the
air. AS the body came down he caught
it and tossed it again and then flung
it about in a way that could have left
no life in it after few minutes.
THE other chaps pluckily ran down
and fired two bullets apiece into the
beast. but when he charged them they
made a bolt for and climbed the tree
under which he had been standing at
first. When he found them beyond
his reach the rhino began running
about in a circle. and it was then
that we cleared away one of the
Founders and opened fire on him. AS
he was on the move the first two shells
didn't even throw dirt on him, but
the third struck him fair amidships
and exploded.
Another boat was sent ashore. and
l was one of those who landed from 1t,
We found the surveyor dead and with
every bone broken, and as for the
rhino he was a sight to see.
1.-TWO nights after that and twenty
miles above we anchored in midstream
for the night. 1t was bright moon
light night. and up to midnight things
passed off very quietly. Then troop
Of elephants came down to the shore to
drink. 1t was in my watch. and |
counted fourteen big fellows and two
kids. They were just opposite US and
not over forty rods away. but were not
at all alarmed by our presence.
after drinking and splashing around
for awhile. two big bulls got into a
row. l couldn't make out the cause Of
it, but they hadn't been scrapping over
two minutes when the rest of the herd
Joined in, and there was a row to beat
the band. Some of the officers brought |
their rifles on deck and opened fire,
and the captain ordered us to raise a
shout, but the elephants had got their
mad up and couldn't be frightened off |
by popguns. Then we were ordered to
slew a 9-pounder around to bear on
the mob. 1t was loaded with a per
cussion shell, and the target was too
big to be missed at that short distance. |
That shell went through one elephant |
from port to starboard without burst
ing, but it struck big bone in the mex,
and exploded and killed two others ana |
wounded three. The dead ones lay |
right there in the water next morning. |
while the wounded ones had dragged |
themselves up the bank and were lying
down. We landed to look them over.
and. finding them badly hurt. they
were put out of their misery with bull.