xxx A FEW THRILLS AT BANGALLA RIVER 263 



to watch the actual avenging of his comrades, on 

 seeing three bullets fail to stop the elephant, had 

 completely lost his head, and uttering a terrified 

 yell, had, to put it gently, beat a hasty retreat. In 

 his wild career, he unfortunately tripped over the 

 protruding root of a tree, and with a loud impreca- 

 tion fell headlong to earth. He severely sprained 

 his ankle in the fall, but painful as this mishap 

 undoubtedly was, he had, after the danger was 

 over, to suffer the jibes and jeers of my men, who, 

 having witnessed the whole incident, burst into 

 roars of derisive laughter over the recollection of 

 the accident, as is their wont when any of their 

 companions get into difficulties. We rigged up a 

 maschilla for Makakora and carried the old fellow 

 back to the village, where a week's rest put him on 

 his feet again. 



The tusks of the first elephant shot scaled 75 

 and 76^ Ibs., respectively; those of the second 62 

 and 69 Ibs. One of the ears of the latter animal 

 was badly frayed, the result of native bullet-holes, 

 having been torn and enlarged by branches when 

 the beast was forcing his way through the bush. 

 Both animals bore the scars of many old and recent 

 bullet wounds inflicted by native hunters. 



