Mountain Elephants 



off. Just then I spotted some trees moving at the 

 bottom of the gully, where there was no wind. 

 Watching keenly, I again noted the trees moving, 

 and this time considerably nearer to me, but I dared 

 not fire, as the other two were groping about that 

 very spot. Luckily they soon appeared higher up 

 the valley, and shouted to me that, as they had 

 seen nothing, we had better give it up. At that 

 very moment my friend appeared in an open space 

 at the bottom of the valley, some three hundred 

 yards away. I let him have it, and hit him in the 

 rear. He swung round and I fired again, and I 

 think I caught him all right, as he waved his head 

 to and fro and made off to the right, and was 

 immediately lost to sight among the bamboos. I 

 had borrowed a single-loader, which necessitated 

 very slow firing. After waiting some time the 

 others shouted to me to retire, as they thought he 

 must have disappeared for good ; but I hesitated, as 

 I was for following him up. One never knows. 



As a matter of fact, I must have lamed him pretty 

 severely, or else he would have assuredly made off. 

 Presently I heard the cracking of bamboo, and 

 shortly after saw a bit of him and fired again. The 

 others, who were five hundred yards off on the 

 other side of the valley, fired a volley aimlessly to 

 stir him to action. Slowly but surely he clambered 

 round the gully, getting nearer and nearer to my 

 position, and yet still under cover. To sit and 

 watch the great beast approaching nearer and nearer, 

 without exposing himself, created quite an eerie 



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