CHASED BY A "ROGUE" ELEPHANT.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 17, Issue 58, 24 July 1906, Page 2

CHASED BY A "ROGUE" ELEPHANT.

Few animals are more sagacious or more useful to man than tame elephants, but in their wild state they are as dangerous to encounter as the most savage tiger, or tho most courageous lion. Planters in India have mucii difficulty in keeping wild elephants out of their estates, and great trees are planted across the approaches at such a height that a mounted man may pass beneath, but form a barrier to an advancing elephant. Fortunately for tho planters, an elephant will generally turn away from any obstruction in his way, while he does not like going up steep places. Sometimes it happens, however, that an elephant has found his way to a planter’s bungalow, which occurred in the case under notice. Round his bungalow a planter had dug a ditch ; but, thinking himself cleverer than his neighbours, he had a ditch made ten feet wide, instead of his neighbours’ six feet wide. On the last night in August, the planter was awakened by a “rogue” pulling his bungalow roof to pieces, and breaking down its walls, the 10ft. ditch having enabled tbc wild brute to scramble down one side and up the other.

Tho planter and his servant dashed out at tho far side ; but their hopes of reaching tho forest unobserved wore doomed to disappointment. r l he servant dressed in white garments, ran faster than his master, who saw that the elephant would overtake him before the shelter of tho forest could be gained. Suddenly his foot slipped, and he fell, and before ho could rise the elephant was at hand. Ho thought his last hour had come ; but the “rogue's” eyes were fixed on the white-robed native ; ho did not perceive the planter, over whom he thundered, his ponderous feet shaking tho ground, and barely missing the terrified man. The servant reached the forest, and dashed into the undergrowth, where the elephant followed, while the planter was enabled to seek the shelter of a tree. For a long while tho “rogue” dashed through the outskirts of the forest, seeking for the wretched native, but at length gave up the chase, -and took himself away. When daylight came, search was made for the servant, who was found in a pitiable condition. His garments had been torn to lags by the sharp thorns of the rattan cane, and he was covered with cuts and scratches, from which tho blood was flowing. His wounds were not, however, dangerous, and ho would soon have recovered, had it not been foi the shock, which had rendered him hopelessly insane.