TWO KILLED EST ONE NIGHT WHERE TO AIM. 401 



her. No sooner, however, had I effected my escape, thai* 

 the whole herd made a simultaneous rush at me, and trump- 

 eted so shrilly as to cause every man at the camp, as I learn- 

 ed afterward, to start out of his sleep. Fortunately, the 

 darkness prevented the beasts from following me ; and, the 

 jungle being close by, I was soon in safety. In my precipi- 

 tate flight, however, I severely lacerated my feet ; for, when 

 stalking the elephants, I had taken off my shoes, that I might 

 the better steal upon them. 



When, after a while, I ventured out of my place of con- 

 cealment, I found every thing quiet ; only one solitary ele- 

 phant remained. Having approached within a short dis- 

 tance, I could distinctly see him laving water on to his sides 

 with his trunk. I immediately suspected he belonged to the 

 troop of seven bulls, and was the one that I had fired at. 

 Seating myself right across his path, I quietly watched his 

 proceedings. After a time I saw him, as I thought, moving 

 off in an opposite direction ; but I was mistaken, for in an- 

 other instant his towering form loomed above me. It was 

 too late to get out of his way ; so, quickly raising myself on 

 one knee, I took a steady aim at his fore leg. On receiving 

 the ball he uttered the most plaintive cries, and, rushing past 

 me, soon disappeared in the neighboring forest. The next 

 afternoon he was discovered dead within rifle-shot of the 

 water. It had been a very successful night, for a fine female 

 elephant had also fallen to my other shot.* 



* I lost many noble beasts from the small calibre of my guns, which 

 chd not carry more than fourteen and seventeen balls respectively to 

 the pound. This was more especially the case as regarded the ele- 

 phants ; and it was not until after a time, and when they had become 

 scarce and shy, that I found out the way of bringing them down with 

 any certainty at one or two shots. I found the best part to aim at 

 (when shooting by night) was the shoulder, either behind or in the 

 centre, near to the lower edge of the ear. Another good point, pro- 

 vided the gun be of large calibre, is to fire at the leg, which once 

 broken, the animal, in almost every instance, is completely at the mei- 

 cy of the hunter. 



