300 ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



About this time I heard Isaac blazing away at another 

 bull; but when the elephant charged, his cowardly 

 heart failed him, and he very soon made his appear- 

 ance at a safe distance in my rear. My elephant kept 

 crashing along at a steady pace, with blood streaming 

 from his wounds; the dogs, which were knocked up 

 with fatigue and thirst, no longer barked around him, 

 but had dropped astern. It was long before I again 

 fired, for I was afraid to dismount, and "Sunday" was 

 extremely troublesome. At length I fired sharp right 

 and left from the saddle : he got both balls behind the 

 shoulder, and made a long charge after me, rumbling 

 and trumpeting as before. The whole body of the Ba- 

 mangwato men had now come up, and were following 

 a short distance behind me. Among these was MoU- 

 yeon, who volunteered to help ; and being a very swift 

 and active fellow, he rendered me important service by 

 holding my fidgety horse's head while I fired and load- 

 ed. I then fired six broadsides from the saddle, the 

 elephant charging almost every time, and pursuing us 

 back to the main body in our rear, who fled in all di- 

 rections as he approached. 



The sun had now sunk behind the tops of the trees : 

 it would very soon be dark, and the elephant did not 

 seem much distressed, notwithstanding all he had re- 

 ceived. I recollected that my time was short, and 

 therefore at once resolved to fire no more from the sad- 

 dle, but to go close up to him and fire on foot. Riding 

 up to him, I dismounted and, approaching very near, I 

 gave it him right and left in the side of the head, upon 

 which he made a long and determined charge after me; 

 but I was now very reckless of his charges, for I saw 

 that he could not overtake me, and in a twinkling I 

 vvas loaded, and, again approaching, fired sharp right 



