Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 March 1893 — A Desperate Situation. [ARTICLE]

A Desperate Situation.

In my younger days, says an Oriental traveler, I acquired a taste for country sports, and when I went to India, where field recreations were of a more serious kind, I soon became expert at hunting the jackal, leopard, and tiger; but it wa- not for a year that I tried my hand at elephant hunting. When the eventful day arrived I was assigned to an elephant, and when the party reached the grove Tagore, an expert elephant hunter, called my attention to a tremendous lellow which we at once attempted to capture. Allow-; ■ ing our trained elephants to attract the wild elephant’s notice, Tagore skillfully fastened a rope around his leg and to a large tree, and then we retreated to the rear and waited for him to tire himself out. Instead of that he broke the rope and made for us; and, as my elephant stood stock still as if paralyzed from fright, I promptly climbed into the nearest tree, while Tagore and the others ran for their lives. I Imagined that I was secure for the time being; but, to my horror, the elephant begun to batter the ireo with his hoad, and with such violence that I was nearly shakon from my perch. Finding that I still clung on, tne animal changed his tac- • tics and began tearing up the tree by the roots. I saw the tree would soon fall, and could perceive no possibility of escape. Finally, having loosened the roots, the beast again began to push again With his head, and I felt the tree yielding to the pressure. I fairly shrieked in despair as I felt it falling, but to my inexpressible joy, the tree fell against a much larger one, and the topmost branches become entangled. I quickly scrambled into the new place of refuge, and then I think my nerves must have given way, as I remember nothing more until I heard the sound of bring below, and found that Tagore and his men had returned to my rescue and driven away my besieger. But I have not cared to hunt elephants since that day.