Rocky Ford enterprise., 1912-07-12

HI said he had just returned tfom 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 certain point but
then had lost all his hard gotten ivory and all his
effects, owing to an attack from the natives His
subsequent narrative was enthralling one. and
l wish that 1t were possible for me 10 reproduce
1t exactly as he told 1t to me on that still African
night
Il got very well with the natives and had
got very fine tusks" he continued "One
day was 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 1t. He
charged through the tall elephant grass toward
me. with his huge ears outspread and his trunk
raised high above his head. He screamed fear
fully with rage and pain and the sight in
deed terrifying one. | fired at point-bank range
and again hit him mortally. The elephant contin-
ued his charge and of my native servants
failed TO get out of his way The elephant pushed
the native to one side with his tusk in passing
and the boy fell to the ground without a sound.
The elephant fell down dead a short distance
away
The three remaining elephants were wild with
rage and rushed hither and thither tearing down
the trees in all directions as If they had been
made of paper, screaming shrilly all the time It
was an anxious moment for me, for l was within
fifty feet of them at the time of my first shot
At last they made of 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 establishment found the boy
lying dead where e had fallen when the elephant
bowled him examined him carefully and
found that no bones had been fractured. nor was
there mark 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 treachery from them: on the CON
trary they appeared willing TO keep me informed
of the movements of the elephants and of the
Belgian military patrol, which was operating In
the district, endeavorng to capture us poachers
Next day the same thing happened and
asked to attend to the leg OF one of the trbesmen
who had been injured badly In a native brawl.
] bathed the wound and winding a .bandage
round the wounded leg when | suddenly felt my
wrists seized. rope was quickly cast round my
neck, other ropes were fastened round my legs
and arms, and was jerked roughly off the camp
stool which | was sitting. Then the natives
deliberately destroyed before my eyes. native
seized my helmet and insolently paraded before
me with 1t on his own head I then beaten
savagely across the back of the hands and 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 jeering
at me and subjecting me TO awful indignities for
four whole days through the broiling until
their powerful chiefs village reached Here
the chief came forward and shook me by my
wounded and manaced hands. bidding his follow.
ers release He was fnelooklng old savage
with very intelligent face standing over six
feet high.