XVII UNPLEASANT PREDICAMENT 365 



the breech open, when I saw that she was coming. 

 Digging the spurs into my horse's ribs, I did my best 

 to get him away, but he was so thoroughly done that, 

 instead of springing forwards, which was what the 

 emergency required, he only started at a walk, and 

 was just breaking into a canter, when the elephant 

 was upon us. I heard two short sharp screams above 

 my head, and had just time to think it was all 

 over with me, when, horse and all, I was dashed to 

 the ground. For a few seconds I was half-stunned 

 by the violence of the shock, and the first thing I 

 became aware of, was a very strong smell of elephant. 

 At the same instant I felt that I was not much hurt, and 

 that, though in an unpleasant predicament, I had still 

 a chance for life. I .was, however, pressed down on 

 the ground in such a way that I could not extricate 

 my head. At last with a violent effort I wrenched 

 myself loose, and threw my body over sideways, so 

 that I rested on my hands. As I did so I saw the 

 hind-legs of the elephant standing like two pillars 

 before me, and at once grasped the situation. She 

 was on her knees, with her head and tusks in the 

 ground, and I had been pressed down under her 

 chest, but luckily behind her fore-legs. Dragging 

 myself from under her, I regained my feet and made 

 a hasty retreat, having had rather more than enough 

 of elephants for the t'me being. I retained, however, 

 sufficient presence of mind to run slowly, watching 

 her movements over my shoulder, and directing mine 

 accordingly. Almost immediately I had made my 

 escape, she got up, and stood looking for me with 

 her ears up and head raised, turning first to one side 

 and then to the other, but never wheeling quite 

 round. As she made these turns, I ran obliquely 

 to the right or left, as the case might be, always 



