A Jungle Trip. 277 



killed her with the front shot, both barrels having gone 

 oil" at once, the heavy charge of powder in the right 

 hand barrel having started the trigger of the left barrel 

 by the concussion. Round wheeled the herd, leaving 

 their three leaders dead ; and now the race began. 



It was a splendid forest, and the elephants rushed off 

 at about ten miles an hour, in such a compact troop 

 that their sterns formed a living barrier, and not a head 

 could be seen. At length, after a burst of about two 

 hundred yards, the deep and dry bed of a torrent 

 formed a trench about ten feet in width. 



Not hesitating at this obstacle, down went the herd 

 without missing a step ; the banks crumbled and half 

 filled the trench as the leaders scrambled across, and 

 the main body rushed after them at an extraordinary 

 pace. 



I killed a large elephant in the act of crossing ; he 

 rolled into the trench, but struggling to rise, I gave him 

 the other barrel in the nape of the neck, which, break- 

 ing his spine, extinguished him. He made a noble 

 bridge, and, jumping upon his carcase, we cleared the 

 ravine, and again the chase continued, although the 

 herd had now gained about thirty paces. 



Upon a fine meadow of grass, about four feet high, 

 the herd now rushed along in a compact mass extend- 

 ing in a broad line of massive hind-quarters over a sur- 

 face of half an acre. This space formed a complete 

 street in their wake, as they leveled everything before 

 them ; and the high grass stood up on either side of this 

 road like a wall. 



Along this level road we ran at full speed, and by 

 great exertions managed to keep within twenty yards 

 of the game. Full a quarter of a mile was passed at 



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