130 LARGE GAME. CHAP. n. 



depends upon one's prestige ; and so we went on, and in 

 scarcely five minutes I saw it, having already heard it snort- 

 ing like a steam-engine, trotting along, tossing its head, 

 and looking like mischief personified, having evidently got 

 the wind of some of us, and being quite as anxious to find 

 us as we it. It was about fifteen yards off, and I instantly 

 let drive with both barrels into its shoulder, springing as 

 I did so into the tree under which I was. 



My unlucky companion, who was a little distance on 

 one side, and had hitherto only heard it, came running 

 towards the shots, and absolutely met it face to face ; he 

 at once fired and turned to run, but it was too late, and 

 he was caught on the spot, thrown up with a single toss, 

 which must probably have stunned him, and was then 

 trampled out of all semblance to humanity by the blood- 

 thirsty brute. Any description would be sickening; I 

 could do nothing, for my gun-bearer had disappeared, 

 seeking safety in some other spot, and I found that I had 

 not a single cartridge left in the little pouch I carried ; 

 but after a minute I could stand the inaction no longer, 

 and getting down from the tree unperceived, I stole away, 

 and as soon as I was out of reach, began to shout to the 

 others. Two of them soon came up, my gun-bearer and 

 a hunter, one of them having hidden himself on finding 

 the sort of animal we had to deal with ; and I having got 

 a supply of cartridges, we went back to the spot until we 

 got sight of the brute, still trampling and squealing, when 

 kneeling down, we fired at it together. 



My nerves had been so much shaken, that I was 

 unsteady and missed clean, not twenty yards off, but the 

 ball from my companion's great elephant-gun sped more 



