THE PACHYDERMS 55 



An elephant can, however, more often than not be 

 turned by a bullet, especially from a large-bore or 

 powerful rifle, delivered at the head, even front on, 

 when close up to the gunner. Still it is always to be 

 remembered that elephant-hunting is one of the most 

 risky of all sporting pursuits, and, sooner or later, even 

 the coolest and most seasoned hunter, however well he 

 may be armed, is pretty certain to meet with mishap or 

 even disaster. Oswell, one of the most daring and 

 successful of the earlier big-game hunters, had some 

 extraordinary escapes. Once in the dense jungle of 

 the Zouga river (now better known as the Botletli), 

 towards Lake Ngami, he was being hunted by an 

 infuriated beast. Torn from his horse by the thorns, 

 he fell right in the path of the elephant, which, how- 

 ever, by an extraordinary piece of good fortune, went 

 right over him without injuring him in any way. 

 Selous, while hunting elephants on horseback, was 

 once caught by one of these animals, which, driving 

 her tusk into the horse's rump, overturned rider and 

 steed. Selous in the next moment remembered 

 noticing a very strong smell of elephant, and found 

 himself beneath the belly of the huge beast. 

 Scrambling out from between the hind legs of the 

 monster, he made his escape, and presently, having 

 recovered his rifle, had the hardihood and the good 

 fortune, in spite of so shaking an experience, of 

 bringing her down. Neumann, shooting near Lake 

 Rudolf a few years since, had an even more narrow 

 escape. His Lee-Metford rifle magazine, with which 

 he had had some previous trouble, refused to act, and, 



