With Flashlight and Rifle t^ 



back a hundred paces or so, and tO(jk u}) my position 

 upon a rock, with a l)lack beside me carrvini^ mv rille. 



Lost in thought and humming a tune to mvselt", 

 I suddenly se(;med to hear something approaching me 

 from behind — I couldn't hear well, however, as there 

 was a strong wind blowing from the opposite direction. 

 I turned round and saw, thirty paces off, a huge bull 

 elephant advancing towards me at full trot, in the 

 uncannily quick and noiseless fashion of his kind. I rolled 

 over quickly to one side, as did also mv man, who now 

 observed the elephant for the first time. I gripped ni) rifie, 

 saying to myself, however, that it was too late to think of 

 shooting, antl that next moment we should 1;)(^ crushed 

 to death. 



I also realised suddenly that my rifie was loaded with 

 lead-headed steel-bullets, which are quite useless with a bull 

 elephant. In this terrifying moment, the elephant, taking 

 fright apparently at our sudden appearance almost from 

 under his feet, gave out a resounding snort, and shaking 

 his huge ears, swerved oft^ to the left, almost tcuiching us 

 as he passed. 



Up we sprang now, and unloading my rille with all 

 possible haste I reloaded, and succeeded in getting two 

 shots into the animal's shoulder from Ix'hind. .After 

 following it for half an hour and noting from the way 

 in which his tracks were narrowing that he must have 

 been l)adly wounded, wc; found liim standing under some; 

 acacia-trees, and I was able to Ijring him down with two 

 effective shots in the head before he could make- any 

 attempt to get at me. 



188 



