CHARGED BY A ROGUE ELEPHANT 



P was naturally much interested in the very rare 



scene he had just witnessed, for it is not every sportsman 

 who has the luck to see an unruly " tusker " being driven 

 out of a herd ; at the same time he could not but feel that 

 " the show " had not only lost him his tiger but had con- 

 demned him to a long and useless solitary vigil for the rest 

 of the night. He little thought of the exciting experience 

 which was in store for him. 



The troop of pursuing elephants had now passed out of 

 sight, but could still be heard faintly in the distance, and 

 P - made preparations for passing as comfortable a night 

 as was possible under the circumstances. Accordingly, 

 securing his rifle as best he could to the platform, he lay 

 down, inclined to sleep, but kept awake by a faint hope 

 that the tiger might yet return. He was, however, just 

 dozing off when he was roused by the noise of the herd 

 returning, and soon saw them in Indian file, passing 

 quietly up the river-bed on their way back to the jungle 

 from which they had originally come. They were quickly 

 out of sight and hearing. From their present quiet and 

 peaceful demeanour it was evident that the " rogue " had 

 been effectually driven off at least, this was the conclusion 

 arrived at by the young sportsman who, now that this 

 little excitement was over, lit his pipe for a final smoke 

 before returning to his rugs. He had hardly begun, how- 

 ever, when he heard what sounded like another elephant 

 moving through the jungle into which the " rogue " had 

 been driven, and suddenly a large tusker appeared walking 



slowly up the river-bed. As he came in a line with P 's 



tree he halted, and raising his trunk in the air appeared to 

 be scenting something. Then, turning to his right, he 

 came slowly on, scenting as he walked ; this movement 

 brought him to within some twenty-five yards abreast of 

 the tree. To P who was watching him with consider- 

 able interest, he appeared as though about to pass on into 

 the jungle when, without the slightest warning, the great 

 brute, suddenly turning at right angles to his course, 



charged straight at the tree ! Fortunately for P he 



was standing up at the time, with his hand on a bough, and 

 had just time to throw his arms round it. Otherwise, so 

 completely had he been taken by surprise that the terrific 



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