TACKLING A TUSKER. 57 



me with the spare rifle, and to be very cautious, 

 I crawled out on my stomach, and, inch by inch, 

 wriggled along till I reached the first rock. Then, 

 after a moment's pause, on to the second; and 

 so on, till I gained the shelter of the bush. 



There I lay panting, but striving to be quiet. 

 Oh ! if I could only get to that tree. The effort 

 must be made; and, as I was preparing to do 

 so, the elephant again gathered up some dust, 

 and, as he propelled it, with a shrill c ph-r-ew,' 

 (I am afraid I cannot phonetically imitate the 

 exact sound) I skipped nimbly across to the tree, 

 beckoning to Ramiah to lie perdu. I had only 

 time to conceal myself behind the massive and 

 gnarled trunk, and silently cock my rifle, with 

 finger on the trigger, when I saw the tip of the 

 tusker's trunk curl slowly round in my direction, 

 whilst the huge ears were cocked forward in an 

 attitude of expectation. I intuitively felt he had 

 winded me, and I knew I had no time to lose ; 

 so, as his gigantic head was slowly turned full 

 towards me, I took the best aim my excited 

 feelings and trembling limbs would allow, and, 

 covering the depression in his forehead above the 

 trunk, pulled ! ' Bang ' went the old rifle, with a 

 roar that re-echoed through the hills, nearly knock- 

 ing me over, from the combined effects of six drams 

 of powder and a ten to the pound bullet ; and, 



