HUNTING IN AFRICA

Evening Star, Issue 18502, 8 December 1923, Page 13

HUNTING IN AFRICA

ADVENTURE WITH ELEPHANT j THRILLING EXPERIENCE. ENRAGED BEAST’S CHARGE. A thrilling adventure with a charging elephant is related by Mr Denis D. Lyell in a book ho has written dealing with his life as a hunter and collector in Nyassaknd. Northeastern Africa. The story referred to is given in tho following extract from tho author's works:— “ None of tho three bulls I saw were very large, the best being one with tusks about 301 b each. This elephant was broadside, and offered a satisfactory position for tho brain shot, so I aimed a little forward of liis oarholo and fired. He collapsed as if brained, and I thought ho was down for good; but ho wasn’t, as he soon began to make tho most strenuous efforts to get up, screaming loudly as ho struggled violently to rise. The herd ran at tho sound of my shot, and some of them came round toward us, so wo had to run for tho timber, as wo were out in the open. Before going I gave the wounded bull a shot in tho shoulder, but it did not seem to hurt him much. “ Getting among the trees, I picked one of tho best of them, but only about a foot thick, and stood behind it, with my Awemba gun-bearer, Kalonje, just behind with my cartridge bag. The other men disappeared into tho bush and raft come vw. When I looked at tho wounded bull I saw ho was coming straight for Kalcnjo and myself, and coming very fast, too. “I bad a Gibbs .303 fitted with a large magazine holding ten rounds when full, but I never put more than eight into it, as it did not work quite so well when full up with the ten rounds. Having fired two shots, I had sir. left, and I needed them all. ‘‘The elephant, m I say, was coming at his best pace, and he was swishing through the short grass, making a loud rustling at evorv step. His trunk was curled and held low in front, and he never made a sound except with his feet as he oame rushing “By the time I was settled, comfortably against my small tree there was a distance of not more than 60yds between us, and it was being reduced very quickly, so I began to shoot steadily at the spot where tho trunk joins tho forehead. There is a hollow in tho skull hero. Two bullets slapped on liis hard skull, and all ho did was to shako his head and come faster still. “I was quite cool, but cannot say I was not a bit anxious. "When the second shot failed to stop him it struck mo that I was going high, as that is the usual xault with the frontal shot. I then aimed lower and pot him, for, while coming at his maximum pace, he went clean over on Hs left side, hitting tho earth with a splendid hump, and with the momentum slid to within a few paces of tho tree. I thought his left tusk would have boon broken, but it wns uninwho was a very plucky fellow, ■tvas looking green, ho usually old when close to elephants \ bub the sport had a fascination for him, notwithstanding’ his natural fear of tho animals. This was the best kind of bravery, as it is noting to bo bravo when ono is not afraid. I may have boon green, too, but I did not have a mirror handy to look at my face. “Tho men wore Quito delighted with tno show, rqnd ran up and patted me on the back in tM most sympathetic way; and I must admit that I was mightily pleased, for after I had failed to stop bin* with my second shot I began to wonder whether ho would pick Kalcnjo or myself first. “This ie the finest eight I witnessed durum the time I was hunting in Central Africa, and although X killed another elephant which was coming for me, ho was not coming at anything like tho pace of this our, nor had no tho relentless look of silent fury what that animal displayed. "Of course, I have had elephants rush past me and almost over mo many limes, ■hut only twice have I seen ono comp straight for me knowing that I was ‘his moat,’ so to speak. Gome people who see •game rushing towards them call it a charge, which is absolute nonsense, as tho animals are simply trying to escape or get up against the wind, for all animals try to get the wind in their faces go as to have tho power of scenting danger from their front. They may run down-wind for a bit when thev are scared, but soon begin taswervo up to the wind. By knowing this fact, ono can sometimes cut ncroes and, get a shot, ana this was a favorite move in tho old days_ in South Africa when a hunter _was_ chasing game on horseback. Selous in his books often mentions doing tills, and so do others. ’