Elephant 



yards away only, and let drive at this obnoxious 

 intruder, as much to save the precious box as to 

 protect the shrieking porter who was carrying it 

 on his head. He, however, stuck to his load 

 like a Briton, and down fell the bull, nipped in 

 the bud with a solid "256 bullet between the eye 

 and the ear-hole. I then seized the heavy rifle, 

 determined to do or die in the midst of the fear- 

 ful pandemonium to which the report of the rifle 

 gave rise. 



Imagine yourself surrounded by about eighty 

 or ninety leviathans, all of whom are dashing 

 wildly about in any and all directions, crashing 

 and smashing through everything they come 

 across, trumpeting all round— a most awe-in- 

 spiring noise — and you in the midst, excessively 

 hot and very wet ! Luckily, nothing untoward 

 happened, and my blue fright subsided. All 

 thoughts of the big bull had vanished for ever 

 as the herd had cleared, and one could hear them 

 still going strong half a mile away. It was use- 

 less to think of any attempt at pursuit, so I sadly 

 retraced my steps — fifteen measured paces — to 

 the rash idiot who had met his death in his pal's 

 place. He wasn't so small as I had thought in 

 the excitement of the moment, and when his 

 tusks were cut out they averaged 52 lbs. apiece. 

 Not so bad after all ! 



It is very difficult to judge of an elephant's 

 tusks unless they are exceptionally big. In that 

 I 113 



