MAULED BY AN ELEPHANT 97 



hurled fifty feet or more through space, which 

 I welcomed as the only possible likelihood of 

 escape. But no; at that moment I struck the 

 ground with a thud. Three times I was lifted 

 high and brought crashing through the grass 

 to earth. The last time the elephant uncoiled 

 his trunk and left me lying there, stunned and 

 dazed and staring blankly into his wicked little 

 eyes, now hot with rage. 



"Then, dropping to his knees before me, he 

 knelt there hesitating, as though to give me 

 time to deliberate before the end should come. 

 But he did not keep me waiting long, for slowly 

 the two great tusks began descending. With 

 all my waning strength I threw my body snug 

 up against his bending knees, and the tusks 

 passed harmlessly over me, just grazing my 

 back, and tore great holes in the earth be- 

 yond. Again the ponderous head was raised, 

 and again his tusks bore down upon me and 

 probed deeply into the earth. 



"Evidently the animal had been somewhat 

 blinded by my shots, for, assuming that he had 

 done his work, he started to rise, and as he 

 did so the sudden thought came over me that 

 he would probably attempt to trample me to 



