Mexico Missouri message., 1912-07-11

He said he had just returned from the Congo,
where he had been shooting elephants for some
months at the back of Mahag 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
/ wish that It were possible for me to reproduce
II exactly as he told IT to me on that still African
night.
81 got on very well with the natives and had
got very fine tusks," he continued. zone
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 MORALLY 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 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 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 anxious moment for me, for within
fifty feet of them at the time of my first shot
At last they made off across country toward the
lake, and l followed them up and succeeded In
bagging 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 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
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 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
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 us poachers
Next day the same thing happened and
asked to attend to the leg of of the tribesmen
who had been injured badly IN a native brawl
! bathed the wound and was 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 jerked roughly of the camp
stool on which was sitting. Then the natives
seized my guns and all my camp equipment was
deliberately destroyed before my eyes. native
seized my helmet and insolently paraded before
me with it on his own head. then beaten
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 jeering
at me and subjecting me to awful indignties, for
four whole days through the brolng sun 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 me. He was a fne-looking old savage.
with a very intelligent face, standing six
feet high.