The Savannah morning news., 1904-09-25
The Wise TuSked Chief
A Story of an Elephant Hunt That
Failed.
BY CAPTAIN r. L. sPIcER.

Some years ago, on the expedition in
search of big game in the northwest
part of British South America, l was
witness to a display Of intelligence on
the part of elephants which his caused
me to hold that animal in high esteem
for his 'knowingness" ever since.
I arrived with my outfit at native
village in the country of the Bayeye
just as the natives were preparing for
great elephant slaughter. They
agreed to take me along on their ex-
petition provided 1 would promise not
to use my rifle. They did not wish to
scare away many elephants for the
sake of bagging one, because. as they
assured me, it was their intention to
capture a whole herd by their own
peculiar arts.
We went some three miles away TO
the banks of the Zuga river, where
there was a broad elephant trail lead
ing down from the forest to the wa
ter.
All day the Bayeye worked at their
elephant traps, digging great pits
across the trail. There were three
of these pits. and after they had been
dug they were covered with a light
roof of poles and twigs, and over this
roof the sod originally taken up was
placed with great care and then
sprinkled with grass and leaves, so
that only a close examination would
show that the surface of the trail had
been disturbed.
WAS briohf MOONLIGHT Y1iubf a q
we took our stations, hidden in the
bush on the leeward side of the trail,
so that the elephants would not smell
us out and take the alarm.
Finally there was the sound Of
heavy tramping in the forest and
down the trail came the herd for
which we were waiting. 1t was led by
great bull elephant, who marched
ahead his giant tusks cleaning in the
moonlight his big body swaying as he
went along, and his trunk always
busy, now sweeping the ground and
now held aloft and turned in different
directions as if seeking for the scent
of hostile wild animals or of that
tame animal man, their greatest
enemy.
The leader reached the edge of the
first pit. just as we expected to see
him tumble in, he stopped suddenly
and, raising his trunk, sent forth a ter
rifle trumpet as a warning.
The whole herd stopped Immediately
and huddled together in great appar-
ent alarm and confusion.
The old tusker. reaching out one
foot, carefully tried his covering of
the pit and found his suspicious were
correct. Then. with his trunk work
ing paridly and angrily, the wise lead
er began tearing off the sods and wat
lings until he had entirely stripped the
pit of its covering
Leading his followers around the
edge of the exposed trap, he proceeded
to uncover the two other pits as he had
done the first, and so got the entire
herd without accident to the water.
In order to get around the pits. the
herd had to make a new trail on one
side of them, and this they did with
a tremendous display of force-tram-
pling down. twisting out by the roots,
and otherwise destroying trees of con-
siderable size.
Once on the river bank the elephants
waded I'm until the water was UP to
their bodies. After drinking they be-
gan a regular frolic. squirting water
with their trunks over themselves and
their companions. evidently in high
glee like lot Of boys in swimming.
The natives we're disappointed and
disguised at the outcome Of their hunt,
but being armed only with spears
they did not dare TO attack the big
beasts in the open.
They began to lay another plan i'm
mediately for the capture Of the old
tusker. AS for me. I was so impressed
with the intelligence shown by the
leader Of the herd and IL seemed like
murder 70 break in on their sport in
the water with my rifle fire, that / did
not shoot
For an elephant trap TO be discov-
cred as this one had been was, the
Bayeye told me, comparatively rare
and IT was only done by the Oldest.
herd leaders.