X ELEPHANT KNOCKED DOWN 187 



spurt and got up to within fifty yards behind the 

 elephants. The one I had wounded with the second 

 shot showed no signs of flagging, nor, indeed, could I 

 distinguish her amongst the others : so, pulHng up, 

 I gave the biggest cow a shot straight from behind, 

 about the hip, and a foot above the root of the tail, 

 which brought her to the ground instantly, with all 

 four legs sprawled out like a spread eagle. How- 

 ever, she very soon picked herself up, and walked 

 slowly forward, with her head raised and tail carried 

 straight in the air. Thinking from her bearing she 

 wanted to charge, I took the second gun, and 

 running up noiselessly in the soft sand to within 

 thirty yards of her, shouted, expecting her to turn 

 and take a look at me preparatory to making a rush, 

 which would have given me time to nip any such 

 intention in the bud with a four-ounce bullet ; but on 

 my shouting, to my very great astonishment, instead 

 of turning she lowered her head and tail and went off 

 at a great rate. 



Running out sideways, I gave her another bullet 

 just behind the ribs, which only seemed to accelerate 

 her pace. After this we had a long chase, very 

 tiring in the hot sun and deep sand ; but not until I 

 had given her two more bullets obliquely from 

 behind did she show any signs of giving in. At last, 

 however, she swerved from her course, enabling me 

 to make a considerable cut, when I got a broadside 

 shot at her which brought her down with a crash, 

 leading me to think I had broken her shoulder. 



On going up to her, she commenced making the 

 most violent struggles to rise, jerking up her head 

 and swinging herself almost into a sitting position ; 

 so, running round behind, and waiting till she fell 

 back again flat on her side, I placed the muzzle of the 



