88 HUNTING TRIPS IN NORTHERN RHODESIA. 



the bush. Sitting down, I took a very steady aim, just forward of his earhole, and 

 pressed the trigger. 



He fell at once, and the other elephants then began to scream and trumpet. 

 Most of them cleared off, but two bulls, with about 2olb. tusks, ran straight 

 towards us, but swerved off when they came near the dip of the watercourse. 



I waited, as I did not wish to wound them. As I was watching them, one of the 

 men said: "Look, master, the elephant is coming." I turned to look and saw the 

 wounded elephant struggling to its feet. I fired into it, aiming forward of the shoulder. 

 It did not seem to feel the bullet, and next moment it was coming down the slope 

 straight for us. The men said "run," and went off. I thought it would be better to 

 have something more substantial than a bunch of grass between me and the advancing 

 monster, so I did very good time to a big tree, about seventy yards behind, and on 

 getting to it I stopped. The elephant by this time had crossed the hollow, and 

 was coming down a slope directly towards me. I was armed with a '303 rifle, with a 

 magazine holding ten cartridges. Having fired two shots, 1 had eight in reserve, so 

 I began to pump bullets into his head as he came on. At the third shot his legs 

 seemed to be swept from under him, and he came down a fearful cropper on his side, 

 and with the impetus he was going at he slid for some yards. The men then arrived, 

 and one of them said " it was very good." I suppose he meant it was a fine sight; 

 and it certainly was, to see the animal stopped in his stride and come down dead. 

 This animal belonged to a herd of " garden " elephants, or beasts that make it a 

 habit to raid the maize fields. I doubt if any elephant would pass a crop of maize 

 or millet, but there are some herds that practically live on the natives' crops when 

 they are ripening, as I have formerly mentioned. 



On examining the elephant, I found that my first bullet had hit it in the head 

 about 4in. in front of the orifice of the ear, which is the proper place for the brain 

 shot when the beast is standing broadside on. Why it did not kill the elephant I 

 cannot say. Of course it can't have hit the brain, so I think it may have been 

 deflected and passed under or over it, giving the beast concussion. When an 

 elephant — or, indeed, any animal — runs towards one, it seems to go much quicker 

 than when it runs away, and this beast came along at a very fast pace. Cutting off 

 the tail and part of the trunk, I went back to the tent, leaving some men to begin 

 cutting out the tusks, and promising to send back others to help. Soon after this I 

 started back to Fort Jameson, as my carriers' pay was due, and I reached that place 

 on the 22nd, having passed through some very dry and waterless country. 



Before concluding this chapter I would like to say a few words about the 

 bird-life to be found on the Luangwa river. Not being in the habit of carrying a 



