JAUNTS IN THE JUNGLE. 71 



counter-wheeling, in an agony of apprehension and 

 alarm ; each expecting his neighbour to lead the way 

 off, and each having apparently lost every tittle of 

 instinct ; and now is the exciting moment the mo- 

 ment to try what a man's nerve is made of, as well 

 as to test his coolness and presence of mind. 



It is useless to fire away right and left in the hopes 

 of a random shot bringing an elephant down. Your 

 life depends on your loaded barrel ; and ensconcing 

 yourself near a corner, you wait patiently until an 

 animal marks you out for a charge and comes directly 

 at you, or, in passing in front of you, presents an op- 

 portunity that you cannot forbear taking advantage of. 



Still, if it is possible, one should always have a 

 barrel loaded, but if all happen to be discharged, 

 keep a look-out for a neighbouring tree or rock, 

 around which you can dodge the animal, for if 

 you can do this, you have a decided advantage over 

 him. 



When the elephants are thus attacked in front 

 and flank by experienced hands at the work, they are 

 dropping thick and fast. Escape in the rear is pre- 

 vented by the nature of the ground, and as they 

 wheel round in confusion on receiving the fire of one 

 party, they receive that of the other. 



No person ever thinks of firing at an elephant at 

 a greater distance than a dozen paces, so if one has 

 the faculty of remaining cool and collected, it is not 

 very easy to miss the vital spots in the head, which 



