From the canyons of my mind, I have managed to dredge up one last story about Jaap du Toit. My Father always told me, that this older man always painted himself as an intrepid explorer; fearless hunter and unparalleled marksman. I will relate to you, one of the most confounding tales ever to come out of those days ... the days when South Africa was largely still uncharted!
After many months of trekking northward across Southern Africa, the du Toit family came across another family, who like-minded, were trekking to parts unknown. They had a son, Pieter van Tonder, who was of similar age to Jaapie. Overnight, these two young men became fast friends.
As these two sat around the campfire, late into the night, they swapped stories of the things they had seen and done. Pieter remarked on how the number of elephants sighted, had increased as they trekked northwards. He asked if Jaapie would like to see something extra-ordinary. Of course, Jaapie was always open to new sights!
The next morning, at first light, the two young men set off on their horses. Pieter led the way to what appeared to be a high rocky ‘koppie’ (hill, not quite high enough to be a mountain). At the foot of the koppie, they left their horses to graze, unfettered, in case they had to beat a hasty retreat. (The Afrikaners’ always had highly trained horses, which would come at their master’s whistle.) They paused for a second or two as a porcupine ran in front of them, giving off her almost metallic sounding rattle in warning. As these two young men proceeded to climb the koppie, they noticed an old bull elephant, off in the distance; one front foot partly lifted, head hanging low. Pieter remarked that the old bull looked close to death.
The climb became strenuous and the pair had to stop a few times to rest and adjust their rifles, which they had slung over their backs. During these breaks, all that could be heard was their heavy breathing, the occasional bark of baboons and the click of ‘klipspringers’ (tiny antelope) hooves on stone. As they neared the crest of the koppie, they looked back; to see that the old bull elephant had been joined by two young males. The two men were astounded to see that the two young bulls were on either side of the old bull, as if they were supporting him. They watched for a long while, their climb momentarily forgotten, as the trio of elephants made their way towards the koppie.
Jaapie and Pieter watched the torturously slow progress of these pachyderms, until they realized that they were going around the koppie. Leaning close, Pieter breathed into Jaapie’s ear, not to worry about the elephants now, he had something else to show him first.
The men clambered over the last ledge as quietly as possible. Laying flat on their stomachs, they were faced with a steep drop; the koppie was actually hollow. Jaap gasped in surprise at the vista before him, while Pieter smirked at his side. In the ‘amphitheatre’ below them, littering the ground lay hundreds, if not thousands of elephant bones and tusks. Was this the legendary elephant “grave-yard”?
Just then, movement caught their eye, from across the way. Emerging from a hidden crevice was the elephant trio. Solemnly, the two young bulls led the old bull in, and then veered off, leaving the old bull to stand alone. Ponderously, the old bull sank to his knees, his huge tusks digging into the hard ground in front of him. He flapped his large ears twice, gave one final trumpet and then proceeded to commit suicide!
How you ask? Well, he stuck his trunk up his backside, and blew his brains out!
