V GUN-CARRIER'S NARROW ESCAPE 83 



round immediately, but, his strength faihng him, 

 only walked a few yards, and stood under a tree, and, 

 after receiving another bullet square in the shoulder, 

 gave a fierce shake of the head, making his huge ears 

 flap again, and, sinking slowly down with his hind 

 legs doubled out, surrendered up his tough old spirit 

 — looking, for all the world, though dead, like a 

 tame elephant when kneeling for people to ascend to 

 the howdah. 



Having heard some shots fired by my gun-carrier 

 at the one first wounded, I now made all haste in the 

 direction where the last shot fell ; when suddenly, 

 not far to my left, the silent forest rang again with 

 short piercing trumpetings, repeated so quickly one 

 after another, and continuing for such a time, that I 

 made sure one of my boys was caught — as when an 

 elephant is either very near on to his persecutor, or 

 has actually overtaken him, he emits scream upon 

 scream in quick succession, all the time stamping 

 upon and ventilating his enemy with his tusks, and 

 only ceasing to scream when he has done with him ; 

 and persons thus operated upon are seldom known to 

 complain of their treatment after it is over. 



Before I could reach the scene of action the 

 trumpeting had ceased ; so, calling to my gun-carrier 

 by name, I listened anxiously, and in another instant 

 was much reHeved to see him, still alive, but looking 

 very crestfallen. There he was, without gun or 

 assegais, all scratched and bleeding from violent con- 

 tact with the bushes, and his eyes almost starting out 

 of his head with fright, which was scarcely to be 

 wondered at considering the trying ordeal he had 

 just gone through. He said that, having given the 

 elephant two shots, it just walked slowly on without 

 appearing to take any notice, and that then, having 



