176 INDIAN BIG GAME 



The Kurubers were good fellows. They had a 

 great respect for this elephant, yet they tracked 

 him in all his ways. 



On the third day we got news of the rogue 

 before we left the bungalow at 9 a.m., and we saw 

 him by 10 o'clock. He was in thick bamboo ; we 

 were thirty yards from him and a little above 

 him. Finding no chance of a good view, I 

 crept forward, parallel to the elephant's path. 

 Presently I got a clear broadside view of an ear, 

 and fired. Missfire. I reloaded and, getting once 

 more a clear view of the ear, again pressed the 

 trigger. Missfire. I thought of Juman ; the 

 rifle must be bewitched. 



On hearing the second click the elephant 

 swung towards us at a walk. I could only see 

 the outline of his head in foliage. I reloaded and 

 fired as best I might into this. If I had waited 

 until he was in the open he would have been on 

 the top of us. The elephant seemed to stagger as 

 I fired and then became invisible. Immediately 

 after my shot came a volley, my second barrel 

 and one barrel each from Mr. C. and a rabbit 

 of a Forest-guard. None of these hit, but they 

 made a comfortable sound. 



The elephant crashed off trumpeting. We 

 followed up the blood tracks. Within half a 

 mile the Kurubers' marvellous instinct spotted 

 him standing still in dense cover. We made a 

 little detour and got to within eighteen yards of 

 him. Mr. C. was on my left, the "rabbit" and a 

 Kuruber on my right. I could see a dim silent 

 mass, but devil a mark could I see to fire at. 

 I waited. There was a pull on my left shoulder, 



