TUE AUTHOR ESCAPES DEATH BY A MIRACLE. 405 



ers, amounting to eighteen. Their towering forms told me 

 at a glance that they were all males. It was a splendid 

 sight to behold so many huge creatures approaching with a 

 free, sweeping, unsuspecting, and stately step. The some- 

 what elevated ground whence they emerged, and which grad- 

 ually sloped toward the water, together with the misty night 

 air, gave an increased appearance of bulk and mightiness to 

 their naturally giant structures. 



Crouching down as low as possible in the "skarm," I 

 waited with beating heart and ready rifle the approach of the 

 leading male, who, unconscious of peril, was making straight 

 for my hiding-place. The position of his body, however, 

 was unfavorable for a shot ; and, knowing from experience 

 that I had little chance of obtaining more than a single good 

 one, I waited for an opportunity to fire at his shoulder, 

 which, as before said, is preferable to any other part when 

 shooting at night. But this chance, unfortunately, was not 

 afforded till his enormous bulk towered above my head. The 

 consequence was, that, while in the act of raising the muzzle 

 of my rifle over the " skarm," my body caught his eye, and, 

 before I could place the piece to my shoulder, he swung him- 

 self round, and with trunk elevated and ears spread, desper- 

 ately charged me. It was now too late to think of flight, 

 much less of slaying the savage beast. My own life was in 

 imminent jeopardy ; and seeing that, if I remained partially 

 erect, he would inevitably seize me with his proboscis, I 

 threw myself on my back with some violence, in which 

 position, and without shouldering the rifle, I fired upward at 

 random toward his chest, uttering at the same time the most 

 piercing shouts and cries. The change of position, in all 

 human probability, saved my life ; for, at the same instant, 

 the trunk of the enraged animal descended precisely on the 

 spot where I had been previously couched, sweeping away 

 the stones (many of a large size) that formed the fore part 

 of my "skarm" like so many pebbles. In another moment 

 liis broad fore feet passed directly over my face. 



