A NARROW SQUEAK.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 104, 15 April 1911, Page 2 (Supplement)

A NARROW SQUEAK.

Big name liteictnrc now forms a ,’ood-sized brand; by itself. ••I n phe Heart .»! Africa.” the Duke Adolphus Fr<derirk_ of Mecklenburg J-ecounts n any cxcit : n-r ndreutures: i The Duke’s narrowest escape was fmm a ' wounded elephant btM| with tusks well over Bft. in length. (Having woimd-sl the animal, the autlnir. with bis two followers. M.amlto andj Abdullah. ventured to search for it ib a licit ot grass nearly 12ft. high. The elephant sc-nted them, however, j and at ence prepared to charge. Perceivin'; the imm-nc-it peril AbdidL-dJ put a leaden bullet throiudi his forehend at a di'tancc of one pace onlv. which, however. onlv caused the elephant tL kneel rtown and try to bore Mambo vtith his tusks. I'nsnccessfid in this, hrt seized the youth by the straps of th!c carti idg** pouch and tossed him hidh into the air. I was unaware of thi-Le proceflings, as. in mv attempts 'to let the cl. idiant pass. I bad slippej] aside and fallen in tl.c .swamnv ground! again, v here I stuck fest and could not| move I heard the cries and whimpers! of mv boy. and naturally straggled wfith all mv might to free mvself frdm the sludge ar.d inn tn his aid. At tlrfc same moment the colossal form of tie elephant burst crashing nut of the jnatete ■ grassi. making straight- for me.! For-ti*n-»telv. a small shrub con'cal«?d tn? from bis view : but to my dismav; Iving on the clcj.hnnt’s tusks.'and h'-H firmZ 1'- bv its rolled trunk'. I observed a Mack bodv- covered with torn-np! reeds and grasses and saw in a flaslj that Mamlm w.-v; in a desperate fixj won* both *:• a p-n’lous position.’ If f receded )n gi»->ng the el p'lpnt a mortal wound and it fell to the •’■round my Ws bMy would im vita'Hy be . rushed. 1 had seen this in thO case oi a female elephant and her votin '. Should the elephant not su.-cumb he would doubtless first kin the boy and then me. ai in mv helpless condition I was practically at his merer. All those considerations flashed through mv brain like a streak of lightning, but the elephant .anticipated mv corn! t on. for when he v. as onlv five j>.accs distant from mo ho seized M.amho'firmJy an! throw him some rnrds annv into the tall grass, where the unfortunate wight lav groining. Then, exl« nc.iiig his ears wide, ho rushed m.adlv past me a smalt bush alone dividin' us and disappeared in the matete.