142 SIR VICTOR BROOKE CHAP. 



picked out to follow me. Cocking all four barrels of 

 the two guns, I crawled most carefully round until I 

 could see the old gentleman's head. To my delight I 

 saw two tusks of very fair size. A " tusker " at last, 

 I thought to myself. He was standing perfectly 

 unsuspicious of danger, rocking his head backwards 

 and forwards, and twisting a bit of bamboo about in 

 his trunk. The grass was about 3 feet high and 

 of a horridly binding nature, so much so that I did 

 not like the position I found myself in one bit. I was 

 too close to him, but if I went any farther back the 

 bushes would hide him from me, as he was standing 

 in a small open (or glade) in the forest ; and I was too 

 far behind him to make certain of hitting him from 

 where I stood. I moved inch by inch farther and 

 farther forward until I could see the glitter of his 

 wicked little eye. Crack ! went a small branch ; he 

 became perfectly motionless, both his ears cocked, and 

 his whole attitude betokening intense attention. I saw 

 that to move more round was impossible, so sliding 

 down one gun until it was propped up against my leg, 

 I covered the back of the ear carefully with the old rifle 

 and fired. Before the smoke was clear enough for me 

 to see, I heard a terrible screech and a crash, the report 

 of a rifle, and shouts from Hamilton. "He's off! run, 

 Brooke ! " Away went the old fellow bundling along 

 like a steam-engine ; just as he was nearly out of sight 

 Hamilton fired, and as nearly as possible knocked him 

 off his legs ; but it was too far, and recovering himself 

 completely, he dashed through a huge bamboo clump, 

 and the next moment he was out of sight. Away I 

 ran after him as hard as my legs could carry me, 

 tumbling over fallen trees, and scratching myself to 

 bits with huge thorns that took nice little pieces out of 

 me as I tore along in my impetuous chase. But run 



