HUNTING THE ELEPHANT. 271 



This, however, only seemed to amuse Borele, for he stood within 

 four yards of us, with his horn threatening our momentary destruc- 

 tion, nor would he wheel about until I threw a log of wood at 

 him. Black rhinoceroses are very difficult to scare when they do 

 not get the wind : the best way to do so is to hit them with a 

 stone that is, in the event of the sportsman not wishing to fire 

 off' his gun. 



Soon after Borele departed four old bull e'er Jin nts drew near 

 from the south. They were coming right on for the spot where 

 we lay, and they seemed very likely to walk over the top of us. 

 We therefore placed our two big rifles in position, and awaited 

 their forward movement with intense interest. On they came, 

 with a slow and stately step, until within twenty yards of us, 

 when the leading elephant took it into his head to pass to leeward. 

 We let him come on until he got our wind ; he was then within 

 ten yards of the muzzles of our heavy-metaled rifles ; on winding 

 us, he tossed his trunk aloft, and we instantly fired together. I 

 caught him somewhere about the heart, and my big six-pound 

 rifle burst in Carey's hands, very nearly killing us both. The 

 elephant, on being fired at, wheeled about, and retreated to the 

 forest at top speed. I now directed " Stick-in-the-mud" to make 

 use of his single-barreled twelve to the pound in the event of 

 more elephants coming up ; and thanking my stars that the old 

 Dutch rifle had not sent us both to the land of the leal, I sat down 

 and watched the dark masses of trees that cut the. sky on every 

 side, in the hope of seeing a mass as high and wide come towering 

 forward into the open space that surrounded the fountain. 



Nor did I watch Jong in vain, for very scon three princely bull 

 elephants appeared exactly where the first came on, and holding 

 exactly the same course. They approached just as the first had 

 done. When the leading elephant came within ten yards of us, 

 he got our wind and t'-ssed up his trunk, and was wheeling round 

 ,o retreat, wht^n we fired together, and sent our bullets somewhere 

 about his heart. He ran two hundred yards and then stood, being 

 evidently dying. His comrades halted likewise, but one of them, 

 he finest < f t!^e three, almost immediately turned his head once 



