340 HUNTING ADVENTURES. 



twinkling I was loaded, and, again approaching, fiied sharp rigli" 

 and left behind his shoulder. Again he charged with a terrific 

 trumpet, -which sent " Sunday'' flying through the forest. This 

 was his last charge. The wounds which he had received began 

 to tell on h?'s constitution, and he now stood at bay beside a 

 thorny tree, with the dogs barking around him. These, refreshed 

 by the evening breeze, and perceiving that it was nearly over with 

 the elephant, had once more come to my assistance. Having 

 loaded, I drew near and fired right and left at his forehead. On 

 receiving these shots, instead of charging, he tossed his trunk up 

 and down, and by various sounds and motions, most gratifying to 

 the. hungry natives, evinced that his demise was near. Again I 

 loaded, and fired my last shot behind his shoulder: on receiving 

 it, he turned round the bushy tree beside which he stood, and I 

 ran round to give him the other barrel, but the mighty old monarch 

 of the forest needed no more ; before I could clear the bushy tree 

 he fell heavily on his side, and his spirit had fled. My feelings 

 at this moment can only be understood by a few brother Nimrods 

 who have had the good fortune to enjoy a similar encounter. I 

 never felt so gratified on any former occasion as I did then. 



By this time all the natives had come up ; they were in the 

 highest spirits, and flocked around the elephant, laughing and 

 talking at a rapid pace. I clrmbed on to him, and sat enthroned 

 upon his side, which was as high as my eyes when standing on 

 the ground. In a few minutes night set in, when the natives, 

 having illuminated the jungle with a score of fires, and formed a 

 semicircle of bushes to windward, lay down to rest without par 

 taking of a morsel of food. Mutchuisho 'would not allow a man to 

 put an assagai into the elephant until the morrow, and placed two 

 relays of sentries to watch on either side of him. My dinner con- 

 sisted of a piece of flesh from the temple of the elephant, which I 

 broiled on the hot embers. In the conflict I had lost rriy shirU 

 which was reduced to streamers by the wait-a-bit thorns, and all 

 the clothing that remained was a pair of buckskin knee-breeches. 



The night was very cold, it being now the dead of the African 

 winter. Hav : ng collected dry grass, I spread it bes'de a fire, 



