152 INSIDE THE STOCKADE. 



I bethought myself just at this moment of the cries of an elephant 

 which 1 had heard behind the others, and, thinking some might have been 

 left behind, I faced round. It was lucky I did so, as I found myself con- 

 fronting a large female with two calves of different ages, which were coming 

 down the drive not forty yards from us ! They were advancing hesitatingly, 

 as a perfect Bedlam had been let loose about the stockade when the gate 

 fell, everybody closing in to repel any attempt on the palisades. The big 

 elephant was evidently doubting whether to keep to the line her companions 

 had taken, or to make off back into the jungle. 



The men at the gate escaped through the palisades without delay, but 

 as it was a squeeze through I preferred taking my chance where I stood 

 to being taken in rear when in the embarrassing position of getting under 

 a low rail on all fours. I had my 8 -bore rifle with twelve drams and 

 hard bullets in each barrel, so thought myself capable of meeting her. The 

 elephant now stopped and hesitated, though threatening an attack. She 

 kicked up the dust with her fore-feet, and trumpeted shrilly, but at this 

 moment some one poked her in the face with a long bamboo through the 

 side palisades. She turned and went slowly and dejectedly away, and we 

 saw no more of her. 



Inside the stockade the poor terrified beasts, thirty-seven in number, 

 were crowding each other into the smallest possible circle, each trying to 

 keep as far as possible from the lighted torches that had been thrust 

 through the palisades at short distances all round. Every stick of small 

 jungle was quickly demolished in their struggles. As one was forced out 

 of a good place in the circle by some stronger animal it rushed madly 

 round the writhing mass, tail and ears cocked, trumpeting shrilly with fear, 

 and again plunged headlong in. Each debutant was loudly cheered by the 

 delighted coolies perched on the high stockade all round. 



One or two of the elephants soon began to get over their first panic, 

 and some of them advanced to an examination of the trench and palisades. 

 This was nuts for the men, whose delight was now crowned in the oppor- 

 tunity of letting off blank charges literally against the heads of the huge 

 beasts, from which the boldest recoiled as if shot. 



