328 WILD SPORTS OF BURMA AND ASSAM 



cover, which bent, broke, and gave way before the huge beast, 

 straight towards us, and pulled up to within ten paces of 

 where I was standing. I dared not make a hurried move- 

 ment for fear of bringing the infuriated beast upon me, but 

 slowly raised my rifle to the present, and, taking aim for the 

 right ear-hole, which was, however, partially hidden by foliage, 

 fired. The elephant staggered slightly to one side, and then 

 wheeled round and sailed off again through the dense under- 

 growth, carrying everything before him. We followed in his 

 wake as quickly as the inequalities of the ground would 

 permit for about a hundred yards, when we suddenly per- 

 ceived him standing stock-still stern on and in a listening 

 attitude, and only some 10 yards off. To crouch down and 

 make ourselves as small as possible was the work of a 

 moment. We had not been in this position more than a few 

 seconds before the huge beast spun round quickly and 

 charged straight for us. It was a very close thing, as he 

 passed within a foot or two of the spot where I was crouch- 

 ing, in fact one ponderous foot was within touching distance. 

 Moung Yauk had only time to throw himself to the other 

 side of the narrow lane out of sight, ere the elephant 

 passed between us. Fortunately, instead of bringing up and 

 looking for us, he held straight on for about 100 yards, and 

 then came to a halt in some dense cover, where he stood 

 grumbling angrily and banging his trunk violently on the 

 ground, sure signs these of pain and rage. It was now get- 

 ting late, and as the fever was making me feel very wretched 

 I thought it high time to bring matters ' to a climax. So 

 telling Moung Yauk to back me up I edged up carefully 

 towards the elephant, in the hopes of being able to get in a 

 head-shot and thus finish the business. It was very hard 

 work, however, and only those who have followed elephants, 

 especially a wounded animal, through thick cover can under- 

 stand the magnitude and danger of the undertaking. While 

 pushing our way carefully through the undergrowth, and 

 when quite 25 yards from the beast, it suddenly seemed 

 to be aware of our presence, and without the slighest warn- 

 ing charged in our direction at a great pace, the thump 

 of its feet on the ground, strange to say, being very distinct 



