Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 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 hard-gotten ivory and all his
effects owing toA an attack from the natives His
subsequent narrative was an enthralling one. and
/ wish that it were possible for me to reproduce
it exactly he told it to me that still African
night
81 got on very well with the natives and had
got some very fine tusks," he continued "One
day | out after some elephants which had
been located by the natives for me, and came
across four huge tuskers l 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. fired at point-blank 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 short distance
away
"The three remaining elephants 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 1t
was an anxious moment for me, for l 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
baggng all three of them in three shots at close
range.
Il returned to look for my native servant,
thinking that he would be watching over my first
tusker. To my establishment l found the boy
lying dead where he had fallen when the elephant
boWled him over. examined him carefully and
found that no bones had been fractured, nor was
there mark on his body. He must have died
from shock at the terrifying experience
inland after big herd and camped. leaving my
main camp two days behind me. Within radius
of twenty miles of me there 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. l
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, endeavoring to capture poachers.
Next day the same thing happened and was
asked to attend to the leg of of the trbesmen
who had been injured badly in native brawl.
/ bathed the wound and winding a bandage
round the wounded leg when | suddenly felt my
wrists seized. rope quickly cast round my
neck, other ropes were fastened round my legs
and arms and | was jerked roughly off the caml-
stool which I was 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 | was then beaten
savagey 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.
Il was made to march. with my captors jeering
at me and subjecting me to awful indignities, for
four whole days through the broiling sun until
their powerful chiefs village was reached. Here
the chief came forward and shook me by my
wounded and manaced hands, bidding his follow
ers release me He was fne-looking old savage,
feet high