Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1912-07-12

He said he had just returned from the Congo,
where he had been shooting elephants for some
months at the back of Mahagi and that he had
been very successful up to a certain point, but
then had lost all his hardgotten ivory and all his
effects, owing to an attack from the natives. His
subsequent narrative was an enthralling one and
I wish that it were possible for me to reproduce
it exactly as he told it to me on that still African
night.
81 got on very well with the natives and had
got some very fine tusks," he continued. "One
day l out after some elephants, which had
been located by the natives for me, and came
across four huge tuskers. fired at the biggest
but only succeeded in mortally wounding it. He
charged through the tall elephant grass toward
me, with his huge outspread and his trunk
raised high above his head. He screamed fear
fully with rage and pain and the sight was In
deed terrifying one. I fired at pointblank range
and again hit him mortaly. The elephant contin-
ued his charge and one of my native servants
failed to get out of his way. The elephant pushed
the native to side with his tusk in passing
and the boy fell to the ground without sound.
The elephant fell down dead a short distance
away
THE three remaining elephants were wild with
rage and rushed hther and thther. tearing down
the trees in all directions If they had been
made of paper screaming shriy all the time 1t
an anxious moment for me, for I was within
fifty feet of them at the time of my first shot
At last they made off across country toward the
lake, and followed them up and succeeded in
.bagging all three of them in three shots at close
range.
81 returned to look for my native servant
thinking that he would be watching over my first
tusker. To my astonishment | found the boy
lying dead where he had fallen when the elephant
bowled him over. I examined him carefully and
found that no bones had been fractured, was
there mark on his body He must have died
from shock at the terrifying experience.
"On or about December 10th moved off farther
inland after big herd and camped, leaving my
main camp two days behind me. Within a radius
of twenty miles Of me there were four other white
poachers, namely Pearson, Dickinson, Boyes and
Knowles. The natives appeared perfectly friendly
to me. On my first night in camp they visited
me. dancing and singing round my campfire
suspected no treachery from them the con-
trary they appeared willing to keep me informed
of the movements of the elephants and of the
Belgian military patrol which operating in
the district, endeavoring to capture poachers.
Next day the same thing happened and was
asked to attend to the leg of of the tribesmen
who had been injured badly in native braw
/ bathed the wound and was winding bandage
round the wounded leg when suddenly felt my
wrists seized. A rope quickly cast round my
neck other ropes We're fastened round my legs
and arms, and was jerked roughly off the camp
stool on which 1 sitting. Then the natives
seized my guns, and all my camp equipment was
deliberately destroyed before my eyes. A native
seized my helmet and insolently paraded before
me with 1t on his own head. I then beater
savagely across the back of the hands and on the
body with sticks My hands burst open, hurting
fearfully, and the sun beat down upon my head
with terrific force
81 was made to march, with my captors jeerini
at me and subjecting me to awful tEdignities, foi
four whole days through the broiling sun unit
their powerful chiefs village reached Her,
the chief came forward and shook by my
wounded and manaced hands, bidding his follow
ers release He was fne-looking old savage
with very intelligent face, standing over 81,
feet high b1 W