JAUNTS IN THE JUNGLE. 73 



Driven at last to desperation by stray shots from 

 the tyros of the party, one prevailing sentiment 

 seemed to animate the wounded wretches, and sauve 

 qui peut became the order of the day, leaving us 

 in possession of the slain, which amounted to about 

 eight or ten elephants. 



Having satisfactorily arrived at the conclusion as 

 to who was the slayer of each particular animal a 

 matter not very easily accomplished, where every one 

 is so anxious for " the honour of the thing" (a point, 

 however, generally conceded by the veteran to the 

 more inexperienced), we proceed to congratulate each 

 other on the event, whilst our servants are engaged 

 in amputating the extremities of the animals' tails 

 (the trophy we preserve of our victims), which, being 

 covered with long black bristles, have been made use- 

 ful and ornamental by some enterprising elephant 

 shot, by being highly polished, and turned into 

 bracelets six bristles kept apart at regular distances 

 by small bars of gold, making a very unique and ex- 

 ceedingly pretty ornament. 



But whilst we are quietly contemplating the afore- 

 said process of amputation, one of the fallen monsters, 

 whose turn it has come to be operated upon, suddenly 

 springs up into life, having been merely stunned, 

 and makes us look out for ourselves ; a general 

 volley is showered at his head, and he gets off or 

 falls for the last time, as his stars have ordained it. 



After undergoing a scraping, added to an ablution 

 in an adjacent muddy pool, during which time the 



