130 LARGE GAME. chap. ii. 



depends uj^on one's prestige ; and so we went on, and in 

 scarcely five minutes I saw it, having already heard it snort- 

 ing like a steam-engine, trotting along, tossmg its head, 

 and looking like miscliief personified, having evidently got 

 the wind of some of us, and bemg quite as anxious to find 

 us as we it. It was about fifteen yards off", and I instantly 

 let drive with both barrels into its shoulder, springing as 

 I did so into the tree luider which I was. 



My imlucky companion, who was a little distance on 

 one side, and had hitherto only heard it, came rmming 

 towards the shots, and absolutely met it face to face ; he 

 at once fired and tui'ned to run, but it was too late, and 

 he was caught on the spot, tlirown up with a single toss, 

 wliich must probably have stunned him, and was then 

 trampled out of all semblance to humanity by the blood- 

 thirsty brute. Any description would be sickening ; I 

 coidd do nothmg, for my gun-bearer had disappeared, 

 seekmg safety in some other spot, and I found that I had 

 not a smgle cartridge left in the Httle pouch I carried ; 

 but after a mmute I cOuld stand the inaction no longer, 

 and getting down from the tree unperceived, I stole away, 

 and as soon as I was out of reach, began to shout to the 

 others. Two of them soon came wp, my gun-bearer and 

 a himter, one of them having hidden himself on finding 

 the sort of animal we had to deal with ; and I having got 

 a supply of cartridges, we went back to the spot until we 

 got sight of the brute, still trampling and squealing, when 

 kneelmg down, we fired at it together. 



My nerves had been so much shaken, that I was 

 unsteady and missed clean, not twenty yards ofi", but the 

 ball from my companion's great elephant-gun sped more 



