HUNTING THE ELEPHANT. 411 



Joliannus hove in sight, following his quarry at a respectful distance. 

 Both elephants held on together, so I shouted to Johannus, "I will 

 give your elephant a shot in the shoulder, and you must try to finish 

 him." Spurring my horse, I rode close alongside, and gave the fresh 

 elephant two shots immediately behind the shoulder, when he parted 

 from mine, Johannus following; but before many minutes had elapsed 

 that mighty N-imrod re-appeared, having fired one shot and lost his 

 prey. 



In the mean time I was loading and firing as fast as could be, some- 

 times at the head, and sometimes behind the shoulder, until my ele- 

 phant's fore-quarters were a mass of gore, notwithstanding which he 

 continued to hold stoutly on, leaving the grass and branches of the 

 forest scarlet in his wake. 



On one occasion he endeavored to escape by charging desperately 

 amid the thickest of the flames ; but this did not avail, and I wan 

 soon once more alongside. I blazed away at this elephant, until ] 

 began to think that he was proof against my weapons. Having fired 

 thirty-five rounds with my two-grooved rifle, I opened fire upon him 

 with the Dutch six-pounder; and when forty bullets had perforated 

 his hide, he began for the first time to evince signs of a dilapidated 

 constitution. He took up a position in a grove ; and as the dogs 

 kept barking round him, he backed stern foremost among the trees, 

 which yielded before his gigantic strength. Poor old fellow ! he had 

 long braved my deadly shafts, but I plainly saw that it was now all 

 over with him ; so I resolved to expend no further ammunition, but. 

 hold him in view until he died. Throughout the chase this elephant 

 repeatedly cooled his person with large quantities of water, which he 

 ejected from his trunk over his back and sides ; and just as the pangs 

 of death came over him, he stood trembling violently beside a thorny 

 tree, and kept pouring water into his bloody, mouth until he died, 

 when he pitched heavily forward, with the whole weight of his fore- 

 quarters resting on the points of his tusks. 



A most singular occurrence now took place. * He lay in this pos- 

 ture for several seconds, but the amazing pressure of the carcass was 

 more than the head was able to support. He had fallen with hii 

 head so short under him that the tusks received little assistance from 



