278 WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WAYS CHAP. 



This plan was adopted. We heard two or three shots, the 

 beatere had ascended the trees, from which they were shouting like 

 demons, and suddenly a magnificent rogue elephant, a gigantic 

 bull, emerged from the jungle, and advanced majestically in direct 

 line for my concealed position. It was a grand sight, and having 

 thorough confidence in my rifle, I disdained concealment, and stood 

 in front of my bush to meet him. The instant that the rogue dis- 

 covered me, his demeanour changed; for a moment he halted, then 

 swung his head to and fro, and without further introduction he 

 charged full speed upon me. I awaited quietly, covering the exact 

 spot in the forehead, and fired. The smoke of the heavy charge of 

 powder hung like cotton wool around me, and for a moment obscured 

 the view ; but feeling sure that he was down, I looked beneath, 

 and to my horror I saw the trunk, the cocked ears and the expres- 

 sion of fury just above me. 



To throw down my heavy rifle and to bolt upon one side was 

 the work of half a second, but the elephant turned after me, and 

 the race commenced over the most lovely piece of turf, like a well- 

 kept lawn tennis ground. I could run in those days, and I flew 

 along the level surface with this horrid brute behind me, going his 

 best, and gaining in the race. Keeping parallel with the jungle, I 

 hoped that the elephant would relinquish the pursuit and turn 

 suddenly into the welcome covert ; but no, he seemed determined 

 to overtake me. This race lasted for about 100 yards, when I 

 suddenly doubled to my left, which would necessitate a correspond- 

 ing move upon the part of my pursuer, that would bring him into 

 the crowd of beaters who were advancing from the isolated patch. 

 At that moment the elephant turned to the right, and was lost in 

 the thorny jungle ; while I was breathless, and relieved from the 

 exciting chase. 



We never saw that elephant again, although we followed some 

 distance xipon his tracks in pursuit. My brother and my shikaris 

 declared that the bullet had struck him exactly in the right place, 

 but that his head was carried very high, and thrown back ; the 

 conical sharp -pointed bullet had therefore deflected, instead of 

 continuing a direct course. 



I had another unsatisfactory experiment with an elephant, 

 which determined me to have nothing more to do with this 

 pointed projectile, and I returned to my old love, the 3-oz. belted 

 spherical. 



In those days we always used the finest grained powder, as we 

 were afraid of a miss-fire with a muzzle-loading rifle, unless the 

 grains could be distinctly seen in the nipple before we adjusted the 



