XVII A LUCKY ESCAPE 367 



me, made sure it was the one that had so nearly 

 made an example of me. The Kafir now came up 

 with my rifle and saddle, the girth of which was 

 broken. The rifle having been open at the breech 

 when it fell to the ground was full of sand, so that it 

 was not until I had taken the lever out, using the 

 point of the Kafir's assegai for a screw-driver, that 

 I managed to get it to work. I then approached 

 the elephant, which all this time had been standing 

 where I first saw her, and cautiously advancing to 

 within fitty yards of her, took a careful aim, and 

 gave her a shot behind the shoulder, which brought 

 her to the ground with a crash. Pushing in another 

 cartridge, I ran up and gave her a shot in the back 

 of the head to make sure of her. 



The sun had been down some time, indeed it was 

 fast becoming dusk, so I shouted to attract the atten- 

 tion of my friends, whose shots I had not heard for 

 some time past. I immediately heard an answering 

 halloo, and soon met Clarkson, and walked back with 

 him to a large ant-heap, where my comrades had off- 

 saddled. I now found that my eye was bruised, and 

 all the skin rubbed off my right breast, and I felt 

 very stiff in the neck and down the back. I was 

 smeared all over with blood, too, off the elephant's 

 chest, on the back and on the left breast. I'his was 

 all that was the matter with me, and a most wonder- 

 fully lucky escape I think it was. The elephant 

 must have rushed against the horse from behind like 

 a battering-ram, throwing me head-foremost to the 

 ground, and the impetus of her rush must have 

 carried her a little too far, for had I been in front of 

 her knees, instead of behind them, nothing could have 

 saved me. I think, too, that she was very severely 

 wounded, and that this desperate charge must have 



