324 Incidents of Foreign Field Sport. 



gave him both barrels in the neck, turned round and 

 ran to the tree. Dropping the Express, I seized the 

 " Big-bore," wheeled round one side of the tree as 

 the hippoo passed it on the other. Almost touching 

 him, I gave him the contents behind the shoulder, 

 then dodging round the tree I seized the double rifle, 

 reloaded it " in the twinkling of a bed-post," fully 

 expecting the brute to be upon me every moment, 

 but the impetus with which he had made at me 

 carried him on, and, seeing the natives in the plain, 

 he blundered on after them. I again seized the single 

 rifle, thrusting in a cartridge I ran to the edge of the 

 grass, and, taking a deliberate aim, fired. This time 

 the brute stumbled, and fell on his knees, the blood 

 pouring from his nostrils ; but he seemed to bear a 

 charmed life, was up again and after the men, but at 

 a very reduced pace. Again I fired the elephant 

 gun, but apparently without effect, as he took no 

 notice of the shot. I loaded and fired again. This 

 time he was a good hundred paces off. This last 

 shot seemed to have struck some tender spot, for he 

 pulled up, and trotted back towards me, but very 

 groggily. The "Big-bore" I knew to be not only 

 very powerful, but very accurate. I did not care to 

 let the beast come too close, for he was a nasty 

 customer. So when he was about fifty paces off I 

 knelt down and fired at the junction of the neck and 

 chest. Down he fell, this time to rise no more. I 

 picked up the Express, loaded both weapons care- 

 fully, and joined the natives, who were grouped 

 round the slain. The bullets were all well placed, 

 and any one of them should have sufficed to deprive 

 him of life, and would probably have done so, but 



