URGED TO SHOOT A SMALL TUSKER 321 



a single animal with tusks sufficiently large to warrant my 

 shooting. 



Almost immediately after witnessing this march-past, 

 another contingent of the herd, consisting of some seven or 

 eight animals, suddenly appeared on my right, bearing straight 

 down at a quick shuffle towards the position occupied by my 

 pony and companions. Thinking that, as often is the case, 

 the rear of the herd would be brought up by a large tusker, 

 and hoping that the animal whose large tracks we had 

 followed that morning, be he tusker or muckna, would now 

 show himself, I ran back and took up my stand beside the 

 pony, as the foremost elephant, a large female with short 

 tushes, arrived within ten paces of us. I had previously 

 warned the Burman who was holding my pony, should the 

 elephants pass close by, to remain perfectly motionless and 

 not to attempt to lead off the pony or drive off the elephants 

 by shooting, the latter proceeding being most dangerous. My 

 warning was, however, entirely disregarded, as the Burman 

 holding my pony bawled out several times, and at one time 

 I really thought the old female would charge home. Fortun- 

 ately for us, however, she did not, and with the rest, some 

 seven or eight animals in all, she recoiled with lowered head 

 and swerved off to one side. In the meantime, the large 

 elephant we were on the look-out for did not put in an appear- 

 ance. My men, meanwhile, had become rather annoyed at 

 my not having shot one of the small tuskers of the herd for 

 them. 



After waiting patiently for about a quarter of a minute 

 we heard a faint sound in the direction of the dense cover 

 from which the herd had come. Thinking this was probably 

 the monster we were on the look-out for, and which would 

 be sure to follow in the footsteps of the herd, I waited. 

 Presently, at a distance of about 100 yards, I caught sight 

 of a large elephant making off slowly in a direction at 

 right angles to us. I immediately ran forward with the hope 

 of being able to cut him off, and to see whether he was a 

 tusker or muckna. I did not succeed, however, as he winded 

 me, and it was all I could do to run up and, at a distance of 

 some 30 yards, fire a raking shot into the small of his ribs 



