Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-12-16
+s+ +S *ss* *S *S* E*s Fs'* G*s5 Fes* e'*a' ~
ELEPHANTS IN
THE CONGO
Titanic Fight Between Two
Monsters of the Jungle.


Perhaps the rarest spectacle ever
presented to the eyes of white men IN
the jungles. of Africa is duel between
bull elephants fighting for the leader
ship over a group of females. / have
seen such a duel. True, part of the
time I watched it standing chin-deep
in a river infested with crocodiles
while two frantic natives were endea-
voring to pull me out, but my curiosi-
ty was far greater than my fears and
7 paid less attention to the efforts of
my servants and the danger / was In
than to the furious combat waged by
the two mighty monarchs Of the Con-
go wilderness.
had been commissioned to go into
the Congo and remain there until GER
tain research work had been complet-
ed, and in the pursuit of that work
was forced far into the interior, where
II white men had ever been before, the
natives, whose language 1 soon learn
ed and whom 1 found to be friendly
and hospitable (as l have found all
savage tribes who had no previous ex-
nerience with white men to be,) had
no remembrance Of them.
Elephants soon became such COM
mon sight that l gave them little at
tention-except when their proximity
was so close as to render the situation
perilous believe there is nothing
more dangerous than an enraged eie-
phant, for always cunning, at sucn
times they are extremely bold ana
even the best hunter can not always
be sure of his aim when mountain OF
flesh is charging him fifty yards away
On the morning OF that DAY
when 1 was fortunate enough to see
duel between two gigantic bulls, had
another "ticklish" experience with an
elephant 1t happened that / needed a
quantity of blood to conduct an exper-
iment. With two black men set OUT
and after a short search we suddenly
found ourselves close to a large ele-
phant, which, because the wind was
blowing from him, had not been warn
ed of our approach. He was sWaylng
first on one foot and then on another,
tanning himself with his enormous
ears. We realized that our situation
was such that it was unlikely our exit
would be propitious If my shooting
CHANGED to be poor, and so decided that
II would be better to cross a narrow
stream that ran close by and await MS
Iordship. for we could see that the
animal trail ran in that direction.
When elephants are amusing them
selves in solitude they frequently beat
and re-beat the same path for hours
at a time, much as though they were
taking exercise. In their stamping
grounds there is usually one or TWO
trees against which they enjoy rubbing
themselves. We found a tree close by
such a one, and with hope that he
would soon come near US, we climbed
aloft to await 'kapumba," as the ma
tives called him. Anyone who has ever
climbed a tree in the jungles will
realize our condition: myriad spid-
ers and twice that many ants seemed
to resent our intrusion. We squirmed
about fighting insects and praying Tor
the elephant to come closer.
Presently he stopped, as though
alarmed. 1t may have been that he
heard us, or it may have been that ne
caught our scent for while the ele-
phant's eyesight is poor, his smell and
hearing are keen. In a second his gouty
walk had changed to a healthy one;
he whirled around in a manner that
would have made a German soldier
green with envy and ran a hundred
yards away to a mound covered with
lush grasses and viewed his surround
ings. He waited and waited until halt
crazed by the insects, 1 prepared TO
try an impossible long distance shot
when 1 saw him descend and slowly
approach. Now and then he would
stop and fan himself. and then ad-
vance another few yards, stop and pull
grass, which he scattered to the wind
Nearer and nearer he came. My rifle
was getting hdgety anu pIepaieu "
shoot, but the natives begged me to
wait-they never seemed to UNDER
stand that a rifle is as effective at
hundred yards as at fifty.
Just as he put his foot into the wa
ter to cross the stream fired. He was
so close that I was too confident and
the bullet went too far to the right to
reach his brain. With mighty trum-
peting he made for the open space,
charging blindly against an invisible
foe. Then he quieted down and stood
almost still for something like ten
minutes, when to our amazement he
started down the trail again, feeling OF
his forehead with his trunk as though
trying to wipe away a headache. l
took careful aim and fired again. In
stantly he began cavorting like a colt
and such fantastic gambols l nave
never seen before or since from an ele-
phant. After chasing around fr abouto
five minutes he had the temerity TO
return almost to the same place where
he had been the first time | shot.