A FURIOUS CHARGE. 309 



partially hidden by two well-grown calves, whom 

 the jolly old patriarch was busily caressing. A 

 very slight change of attitude was all I required 

 to enable me to send him to the land of shades, 

 and I waited in breathless anxiety for this oppor- 

 tunity. To my intense disappointment, however, 

 the huge beast all at once tossed his trunk on 

 high, and giving his sides two or three smart 

 slaps with his monstrous ears, turned abruptly round 

 a:id made off, instantly followed by the whole herd. 

 But it would never do to allow them thus to 

 escape. Springing therefore to my feet, and ad- 

 vancing a few steps, I levelled and fired at the 

 second in size of the males, just as he was dis- 

 appearing from view. The bullet struck him, but 

 very unsatisfactorily, as it glanced from off his hide 

 and went hissing through the air. In a moment 

 the retreating column turned right about, and made 

 a furious and headlong charge, all Int occr me. I 

 had thrown myself flat on the ground, sheltered 

 only by an insignificant little shrub. A false move 

 would have been my death. After looking about 

 him inquiringly, the Paterfamilias made a second 

 clash at the supposed foe, in which charge the en- 

 raged brute actually tore up by the roots and car- 

 ried off with him a whole tree. He looked the veiy 

 picture of rage and grandeur as, for a tew sccond>, 

 he stood exposed to full view, part of the shattered 

 tree still clinging to his tusks. 1 was thoroughly 

 scared, and held my breath in dreadful and 

 agonising suspense. Xot being able to discover 

 anything, he once more faced about and, accom- 



