A voice from the Congo - comprising stories, anecdotes, and descriptive notes (1910) (14760639356)

Identifier: voicefromcongoco00ward (find matches)
Title: A voice from the Congo : comprising stories, anecdotes, and descriptive notes
Year: 1910 (1910s)
Authors: Ward, Herbert, 1863-1919
Subjects: Ward, Herbert, 1863-1919 Africa, Central -- Description and travel Africa, Central -- Social life and customs
Publisher: New York : Charles Scribner's Sons
Contributing Library: University of Connecticut Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Connecticut Libraries



Text Appearing Before Image:
f the wind soonincreased to a veritable tornado—a tropical hurri-cane. Trees were blown down and uprooted on all sidesof the terrified elephant, who remained some timemotionless from fear, but as the tempest continuedthe monster became suddenly panic-stricken andcharged madly through the dense forest, stumblingand falling over the trunks of uprooted trees in hisendeavours to gain some open patch where therewould be no danger of being crushed by the fallingtimber. The lurid flashes of lightning revealed the fright-ened animal with coiled trunk and head bent low,blindly smashing a way through dense woods. Suddenly, in the midst of a mad rush, the ele-phant fell to the ground with a sharp squeal of pain.The poor brute had severed the vines that sup-ported one of the traps that had been arranged theprevious day, and a heavily-weighted spear plungedbetween his shoulders. For some moments thewounded animal remained motionless; then the greatbody rolled slowly from side to side in vain en-
Text Appearing After Image:
7. 2 THE TALE OF A TUSK OF IVORY 119 deavour to free himself from the spear, but theweapon was barbed and the points had penetratedtoo deeply to be shaken off. After many efforts the animal at last got on hislegs again and staggered a short distance throughthe forest until, growing rapidly weaker from lossof blood, he stopped to rest and leaned the weightof his body against a tree, breathing heavily in ag-ony. Here he remained, exhausted, until daybreak,his hide covered with patches of mud and deep redsmears of blood. Gradually the rain ceased and thewind died away. With the first glimpse of dawn inthe village there was creaking from the small squarecane doors of the huts; as they were removed oneby one, dark, manly figures, with long spears in theirhands, stepped forth and stretched themselves aftertheir nights heavy sleep. Hastily arranging their scanty loin-cloths of beatenbark, the men started into the dark woods, in dif-ferent directions, to examine their traps. The party entered