A FATAL RENCONTRE. 47 



to leeward, but finding that he could not get a 

 shot, the animal's back being turned towards him, 

 crept round from tree to tree until he got a fair 

 view of his forehead, when he let drive right and 

 left with his double rifle, and dropped him. How- 

 ever, the elephant, who was only momentarily 

 stunned, began to recover his knees, when Wed- 

 derburn, snatching his second gun from his she- 

 karry (a double two-ounce smooth bore), again 

 brought him to the ground with a third shot, and 

 fancying he was dead, rushed forward, but the 

 animal with a scream of rage regained his feet, 

 and perceiving his antagonist, charged upon him 

 tail on end, with his trunk thrown high up in the 

 air. At this moment, Wedderburn either lost his 

 presence of mind and fired without any aim, or 

 finding that the mortal place in the centre of the 

 forehead was hidden by the upraised trunk, must 

 have endeavoured to bring him down by a side 

 shot, but his fourth bullet (most likely the one that 

 passed through the ear) produced no eflfect, and in 

 the twinkling of an eye, before he could get out 

 of the way, the infuriated animal was upon him. 



