32 Wild Beasts 



the leader's position did not afford an opportunity 

 for the shoulder shot," and Andersson waited until his 

 "enormous bulk" actually towered above his head, with- 

 out firing. "The consequence was," he says "that in the 

 act of raising the muzzle of my rifle over the skarm, 

 my body caught his eye, and before I could place the 

 piece to my shoulder, he swung himself round, and with 

 trunk elevated, and ears spread, desperately charged me. 

 It was now too late to think of flight, much less of slay- 

 ing the savage beast. My own life was in the most 

 imminent jeopardy ; and seeing that if I remained partially 

 erect he would inevitably seize me with his proboscis, 

 I threw myself upon my back with some violence ; in 

 which position, and without shouldering the rifle, I fired 

 upwards at random towards his chest, uttering at the 

 same time the most piercing shouts and cries. The 

 change of position in all probability saved my life ; for 

 at the same instant, the enraged animal's trunk descended 

 precisely upon the spot where I had been previously 

 crouched, sweeping away the stones (many of them of 

 large size) that formed the front of my skarm, as if they 

 had been pebbles. In another moment his broad fore- 

 foot passed directly over my face." Confused, as Anders- 

 son supposed, by his cries, and by the wound he had 

 received, the elephant " swerved to the left, and went 

 off with considerable rapidity." 



Of course, taking this narrative literally, it may be said 

 that it is not an illustration of the point under discussion 

 that the elephant attempted to catch the man first, in 

 order to kill him afterwards. But prehensile organs are 



