THK AFRICAN ELEPHANT. 673 



panions. He shot at the first of the troop ; the elephant fell, sinking on 

 its knees. A second elephant was then killed, and fell on its knees over 

 the first. Another of the sportsmen then shot in his turn, and the ele- 

 phant aimed at fell in the same manner over the two others. All the 

 elephants fell thus on their knees, even to the very last of them, eleven 

 in all, under the fire of the sportsmen. 



Gordon Gumming gives thrilling accounts of his adventures with 

 elephants. He sighted a herd, and selected fvvo huge females. " They 

 walked slowly past at about sixty yards, and the one I picked out was 

 quietly feeding with two others on a thorny tree before me. My hand 

 was now as steady as the rock on which it rested, so, taking a deliberate 

 aim, I let fly at her head, a little behind the eye. She got it hard and 

 sharp, just where I aimed, but it did not seem to affect her much. Ut- 

 tering a loud cry, she wheeled about, when I gave her the second ball, 

 close behind the shoulder. All the elephants uttered a strange rumbling 

 noise, and made off" in a line to the northward at a brisk ambling pace, 

 their huge fan-like ears flapping in the ratio of their speed. I did not 

 wait to load, but ran back to the hillock to obtain a view. Presently 

 my men hove in sight, bringing the dogs ; and when these came up, 

 I waited some time before commencing the attack, that the dogs and 

 horses might recover their wind. We then rode slowly toward the 

 elephants, and had advanced within two hundred yards of them, 

 when, the ground being open, they observed us, and made off" in an 

 easterly direction ; but the wounded one immediately dropped astern, 

 and next moment she was surrounded by the dogs, which, barking 

 angrily, seemed to engross her attention. Having placed myself between 

 her and the retreating troop, I dismounted, to fire within forty yards of 

 her, in open ground. Colesberg, my horse, was extremely afraid of them, 

 and gave me much trouble, jerking my arm when I tried to fire. At 

 length I let fly ; but, on endeavoring to regain my saddle, Colesberg 

 declined to allow me to mount ; and when I tried to lead him, and run 

 for it, he only backed toward the wounded elephant. At this moment I 

 heard another elephant close behind ; and on looking about I beheld one 

 of its friends with uplifted trunk, charging down upon me at top speed, 

 shrilly trumpeting, and following an old black pointer named Schwart, 

 that was perfectly deaf, and trotted along before the enraged elephant 

 quite unaware of what was behind him. I felt certain that she would 

 have either me or my horse. I, however, determined not to relinquish 

 85 



