ELEPHANT AND BISON. 



l 5 l 



to refrain ; at last they quietly walked away without seeing 

 us. We came to a long check, having got on to a last night's 

 track, but again hitting off the right track away we went for 

 some miles, and at last heard the loud crashing of bamboos 

 ahead. The wind being unfavourable we circled round, and 

 approaching very carefully soon saw a big head; and we heard 

 other elephants beyond. Atley pointed to the head we had 

 first seen. I whispered that I could see no tusks, but he 





said " That's a big one." I crept up to a tree within ten or 

 twelve paces of him as he stood on the other side of a very 

 thin bamboo clump facing me. The front of his head was 

 quite clear, so kneeling down on one knee to obtain a better 

 angle I fired my rifle loaded with a spherical ball, and four 

 and a half ounces of powder ; to my astonishment it did not 

 even stop him, and before I could get the other rifle he had 



