With Flashlight and Rifle -^ 



quite clearl)- that I experienced at this moment no fc^eling 

 of anxiety, but merely one ot intense susjjense antl curiosity 

 as to what my fate would l)e. A thousand thouo^hts 

 seemed to llash simultaneously through m\ mind and 

 then make way for a sort ol a|)aih(;tic s(mse ot resignation, 

 coupled with the r<!l]cction that the elei)hants were well 

 within their rights in wreaking \engeance upon their 

 attackers ! 



In front ot me ran mv men, who had thrown everything 

 aside, and as I ran, clasping my rille in nu' right hand, 

 I Iclt instinctively tor cartridges in the lelt-hand pocket 

 ot mv breeches, sa\ing to myself as I did so thai a few 

 more bullets more or less counted for nothing against 

 so great a number of animals. 



We had fled to one- side, as I hav(; mentioned, because 

 this is the way to esca])e a charging (elephant, owing to 

 his defective eyesight, just as 1 felt that they must be 

 upon us, I heard in the- midst of tlu; miiflled thunder of 

 their stamp(;de a terrilde trumpeting, and in the same 

 moment one of m\' men, n(n\' far ahead, called out to me : 

 "The) are running awa\, master!" 



'iiirning round 1 fmd that the bull 1 shoL h.is fallen 

 to th(* ground, and that all the others haxc taken flight 

 to tin; sid(' in the direction in whicii tlic\- had originalU' 

 started. Seeing this, m\ Ijest men luirr\ uj), and I 

 succeed in getting a bullet into the shoulder ol a xcry 

 larg(; but apparentK ailing cow, which is bringing up the 

 rear — tor, there being now no longer any danger of death, 

 m\ anxiet}' to get hold of a young elephant has come 

 back to me. l)etore 1 could reload, the entire! herd 



17S 



