94 THE RIFLE AND HOUND IN CEYLON, chap. v. 



were within a few feet of us. B. was standing behind 

 me on the opposite side of the small open, or about 

 seven yards from the jungle. 



I suddenly heard a deep guttural sound in the thick 

 rattan within four feet of me ; in the same instant 

 the whole tangled fabric bent forward, and bursting 

 asunder, showed the furious head of an elephant with 

 uplifted trunk in full charge upon me ! 



I had barely time to cock my rifle, and the barrel 

 almost touched him as I fired. I knew it was in vain, 

 as his trunk was raised. B. fired his right-hand barrel 

 at the same moment without effect from the same 

 cause. I jumped on one side and attempted to spring 

 through the deep mud : it was of no use, the long 

 grass entangled my feet, and in another instant I lay 

 sprawling in the enraged elephant's path within a foot 

 of him. In that moment of suspense I expected to 

 hear the crack of my own bones as his massive foot 

 would be upon me. It was an atom of time. I heard 

 the crack of a gun ; it was B.'s last barrel. I felt a 

 spongy weight strike my heel, and, turning quickly 

 heels over head, I rolled a few paces and regained my 

 feet. That last shot had floored him just as he was 

 upon me ; the end of his trunk had fallen upon my 

 heel. Still he was not dead, but he struck at me 

 with his trunk as I passed round his head to give him 

 a finisher with the four-ounce rifle, which I had 

 snatched from our solitary gun-bearer. 



