352 THE ELEPHANT. 



ing, however, to make her change it for the better, 

 and thus enable me to destroy her at once, I took 

 up a stone and hurled it at her with all my force ; 

 when, snorting horribly, erecting her tail, keeping 

 her head close to the ground, and raising clouds of 

 dust with her feet, she rushed at me with fearful 

 fury. I had only just time to level my rifle and 

 fire before she was upon me ; and the next instan't, 

 whilst instinctively turning round for the purpose 

 of retreating, she laid me prostrate. The shock 

 was so violent as to send my rifle, powder-flask, and 

 ball-pouch, as also my cap, spinning into the air ; 

 the gun, indeed, as afterwards ascertained, to a 

 distance of fully ten feet. On the beast charging, 

 it crossed my mind that, unless I was gored at once 

 by her horn, her impetus would be such (after 

 knocking me down, which I took it for granted 

 she would do) as to carry her beyond me, 

 and I might thus be afforded a chance of escape. 

 So, indeed, it happened ; for having tumbled me 

 over (in doing which her head and the fore part 

 of her body, owing to the violence of her charge, 

 were half buried in the sand), and trampled on 

 me with great violence, her fore-quarter passed 

 over my body. Struggling for life, I seized my 

 opportunity, and, as she was recovering herself 

 for a renewal of the charge, I scrambled out from 

 between her hind legs. 



But the enraged beast had not yet done with 

 me. Scarcely had I regained my feet, before she 

 struck me down a second time, and with her horn 

 ripped up my right thigh (though not very deeply) 



