Soldiering and Sport in Uganda 



mated at 8o-lb. tuskers, and the rest below 5olb. I 

 whispered to my orderly which elephant I intended 

 to bring down, and I then crept round in the long 

 grass to a spot where I imagined I could get in a 

 good heart shot. 



It may be said here that the heart shot is prefer- 

 able to the head shot as regards the size of the 

 target aimed at ; but, although eventually causing 

 certain death, it gives the elephant sufficient 

 breathing space to work serious havoc. The head 

 shot, on the other hand, brings him down at once, 

 but the aim must be absolutely correct — half-way 

 between the eye and earhole, if firing from a flank, 

 and at the base of the trunk if he is charofinor 

 towards you. 



When I arrived at the point I had selected, I 

 discovered that, owing to the height of the grass, I 

 could not, even then, distinguish my quarry. This 

 necessitated getting to very close quarters, and in 

 fear and trembling I crawled nearer still, followed 

 immediately by my first orderly. One could not 

 help pitying this man. I had the rifle, and the ex- 

 citement was all mine ; whilst he had no rifle, and 

 had to rely entirely on the correctness of his master's 

 aim. My other orderly, with my second rifle, 

 remained a few yards away. I now seemed to be 

 right up against the herd. Four of them stood 

 exactly in front of me, swaying to and fro, and 

 emitting quaint rumbling sounds. One of them 

 seemed to be looking- at me straia^ht throuo^h his 

 absurdly small eyes. 



240 



