BULLET AND SHOT 



I met quite close to the camp. The sight was a 

 very strange one. First came the tame tusker 

 carrying the lady ; next the Colonel, rifle in hand, 

 on foot with the men ; and last of all, walking 

 sedately and quietly behind, followed the wild 

 tusker at a distance of only some thirty yards 

 from the tame elephant. 



Directly afterwards, the tame females met us, 

 and the wild tusker became uneasy, and went off 

 a little way. I then sent two females to attempt 

 to lead him away, while Mrs. G. on her tusker went 

 to her tent. The wild animal, after some hesitation, 

 followed the females, and I kept close behind him, 

 determined, if he should attempt to escape, to shoot 

 him, since there was very great danger lest he 

 should return at night and attack the tame elephants 

 at their pickets. There was also no certainty as to 

 what so strangely behaved an animal might, in a 

 nocturnal visit, do to the tents, so I had fully made 

 up my mind to catch him if possible, and, failing 

 that, to shoot him. 



There had been no time for any preconcerted 

 plan. The only thing to be done was for the tame 

 females, avoiding the camp, to lead the tusker into 

 the kheddah, where he could be at once secured. 



The idiots of mahouts who were riding the tame 

 females led, however, straight towards the camp, 

 with tents, horses, servants, etc., around, and the 

 tusker began to make off. I ran up to try to turn 

 him, but he held on, increasing his pace, and just as 

 I had reached the high road which the elephant 

 crossed, and as the latter, going at speed, was 



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