SHOOTING A JUMBO. 343 
excitement, and the greater the caution exercised in their 
quest. We had just emerged from the bushes on to 
another opening, when there was a most terrific scream, 
and the elephant was almost upon us. There was nothing 
to do but to dive headlong into the dense bush, and then 
try to creep out of the maddened animal's way as best 
we could. It would have been folly to run back along 
the narrow trail, as there were no side paths, and so we 
were forced to undergo the sensation of expecting to be 
crushed every second under the elephant’s feet in the 
bushes. The wily animal had placed himself in such a 
position that he could get our wind the instant we 
emerged from the bushes, and was evidently laughing to 
himself that he would have us easily. But he did 
not follow up his well-conceived plan with sufficient 
determination. 
One wild dash, a couple of plunges into the bushes a 
yard or so on either side of the path, and the elephant 
walked away, uttering from time to time a low rumbling 
sound, apparently quite satisfied with his attempts at 
revenge. 
SHOOTING A JUMBO. 
The day after this occurrence I spied an elephant, far 
away from our line of march, feeding in the centre of a 
marsh in which there were a few low bushes and only one 
tree visible. The tree was but sixty yards from the 
animal, and in order to get a shot it would be necessary 
to reach this without disturbing the elephant. I could not 
resist the impulse to make the attempt, as the elephant had 
the largest pair of glistening white tusks I had ever seen, 
reaching almost to the ground. Taking with me only my 
trusty gun-bearer Aden Aoule, to carry my eight-bore, while 
[ held the .577 express, I crept cautiously along through 
