HISTORY OF THE ELEPHANT. 133 



phant in an open spot, near the skirts of a thick and 

 thorny jungle. The animals fled towards tke thicket, and 

 the male, notwithstanding the many balls that struck him 

 ineffectually, was soon safe from the reach of the pursuers; 

 but the female being sorely wounded, was unable to escape 

 with the same alacrity, and the hunters cutting off her 

 retreat, were preparing speedily to kill her, when all at 

 once, the male rushed forth with the utmost fury from his 

 hiding place, and with a shrill and frightful scream, like 

 the loud sound of a trumpet, charged down upon the hunts- 

 men. So terrific was his aspect, that all instinctively 

 sprang to their horses and fled for life ; all but Cobus 

 Klopper, (we think that was his name,) the last who had 

 fired upon the wounded elephant, and who was standing 

 with his horse's bridle over his arm, reloading his huge gun 

 at the moment the infuriated animal burst from the wood. 

 This unfortunate man the elephant immediately singled out, 

 and before he could spring into his saddle, the creature 

 was upon him. One blow from his proboscis struck poor 

 Cobus to the earth, and without troubling himself about the 

 horse, who galloped off in terror, he thrust his gigantic 

 tusks through the man's body, and then, after stamping it 

 flat with his ponderous feet, again seized it with his trunk, 

 and flung it high into the air. Having thus wreaked ven- 

 geance upon his foe, he walked gently up to his consort, 

 and affectionately caressing her, supported her wounded 

 side with his shoulder, and regardless of the volleys with 

 which the hunters (who had again rallied to the conflict,) 

 assailed them, he succeeded in conveying her from theii 

 reach into the impenetrable recesses of the forest. 



Major Smith also relates an interesting anecdote of a 

 female elephant, whose character he had frequent oppor- 

 tunities of studying. This animal had a great affection for 

 a dog, and the spectators, to tease her, used to pull the 

 dog's ears and make him yelp : on one occasion, when this 

 cruel joke was going on at the side of the barn within 



