ELEPHANT SHOOTING 



we heard a tremendous commotion down the river, and 

 knew it was caused by elephants. We were up at day- 

 light, and after early tea proceeded down the river. 



My battery consisted of a pair of heavy 12-bore rifles 

 and a .450 express. 



My brother had a 12-bore double rifle, a heavy 12-bore 

 ball gun, and a .450 express. T. had a 12-bore double 

 rifle and a 1 2-bore gun. 



After walking about a quarter of a mile we came to a 

 regular crossing, and a big pool in the river where the 

 elephants had been bathing when we heard them. They 

 had then crossed to our side and scattered about, feeding 

 as they went. One large elephant had stuck to the path, 

 and his tracks we followed. On former occasions when 

 after elephants with a new hand such as T. was I had 

 always agreed to let him have the first shot at any elephant 

 except a tusker, but I had done this so often without 

 ever seeing one that I omitted to do so this time. 

 We had tracked the elephant across a large plain, and 

 entered the jungle on the opposite side. The tracker 

 was leading, and I came next. We had hardly gone 

 100 yards when suddenly the tracker started back and 

 said, " Ettah." I looked up the path in rather thick jungle, 

 and to my astonishment saw a fine tusker, with a per- 

 fect pair of tusks, facing me. I turned for my rifle, 

 and hesitated a moment, as I had promised T. the first 

 shot, when a sudden puff of wind in the wrong direction 

 reached the tusker and he whirled round and made off. 

 My disgust can be imagined. Up to the moment of 

 seeing the tusker we had not heard a sound, nor were 

 there any indications of the animal being so near, so I 

 was quite unprepared for his sudden appearance. We 

 took up the tracks and followed fast for about a mile. 



