184 The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon. 



carrying his head very high, and making me the sole 

 object of his attack. I made certain of the shot, al- 

 though his head was in a difficult position, and I accord- 

 ingly waited for him till he was within fifteen paces. 

 At this distance I took a steady shot and fired. A cloud 

 of smoke, from the heavy charge of powder, obscured 

 everything, but I felt so certain that he was down that 

 I looked under the smoke to see where he lay. Ye 

 gods ! He was just over me in full charge ! I had not 

 even checked him by the shot, and he was within three 

 feet of me, going at a tremendous pace. Throwing my 

 heavy rifle into the bush, I doubled quickly to one side, 

 hoping that he would pass me and take to the main 

 jungle, to which I ran parallel as fast as my legs could 

 carry me. Instead of taking to the jungle, he turned 

 short and quickly after me, and a fair race commenced. 

 I had about three feet start of him, and I saw with de- 

 light that the ground was as level and smooth as a lawn ; 

 there was no fear of tripping up, and away I went at 

 the fastest pace that I ever ran either before or since, 

 taking a look behind me to see how the chase went on. 

 I saw the bullet-mark in his forehead, which was cov- 

 ered with blood ; his trunk was stretched to its full 

 length to catch me, and was now within two feet of my 

 back : he was gaining on me, although I was running 

 at a tremendous pace. I could not screw an inch more 

 speed out of my legs, and I kept on, with the brute 

 gaining upon me at every stride. He was within a foot 

 of me, and I had not heard a shot fired and not a soul 

 had come to the rescue. The sudden thought struck 

 me that my brother could not possibly overtake the 

 elephant at the pace at which we were going, and I 

 suddenly doubled short to my left into the open plain, 



