V DEATH OF THE ELEPHANT 49 



try and intercept them. We ran along a narrow path, 

 the dense jungle on either side preventing our seeing 

 anything 5 yards off, towards the spot where we heard 

 the crashing. Heading three elephants, I picked out 

 the largest and fired the .400 at his right temple, where- 

 upon the beast staggered and turned half round, enabling 

 me to get in the other barrel at the ear. I then seized 

 the 8-bore and aimed for the shoulder, and as the brute 

 moved past me, rolling from side to side in a dazed state, 

 I pulled both triggers in succession, with no result ! On 

 opening the breech I found that the second shikari, who 

 only a few minutes before had assured me that the rifle 

 was loaded, had not put in any cartridges. While Ali 

 was reloading the rifles, I spent a minute punching the 

 culprit's head, for his carelessness might easily have cost 

 one of us our life. Then we followed the elephants 

 as quickly as we could and came up with the herd, 

 numbering about a dozen, but they were jostling each 

 other so much in their endeavours to escape- down a 

 track only wide enough for one, that I was unable to 

 pick out the wounded beast. Forcing our way through 

 the jungle to the right, we again headed them, and I got 

 a shot at the temple of one and the shoulder of another, 

 but I was considerably blown and very unsteady. Soon 

 we overtook the animal I had hit in the head, standing 

 behind a tree, with its trunk raised and endeavouring to 

 get our wind. The foliage was so dense, and the beast 

 kept swaying about so much, that I was some time 

 trying to see a vulnerable spot, and when at length I did 

 fire, my aim was not accurate, and the first shot only 

 made it stagger a little. A second, however, aimed at 



