300 ADVENTURES OF AN ELEPHANT HUNTER CH. 



trying experiences of the previous day, after some 

 easy going, two of them fell to a right and left 

 from my "500 cordite rifle, while a third came down 

 to a '303 bullet in the region of the brain. The 

 last elephant lay on his side as if dead, and ere I 

 could make matters doubly sure, one of the female 

 elephants among the herd charged me furiously, 

 my gun-bearer getting such a fright that he bolted, 

 carrying my '500 cordite rifle with him. I 

 managed to send the female tearing off' with a 

 bullet in the face, but found myself in rather an 

 unenviable position, i.e. with an empty "303 rifle 

 and only a few split bullets suitable for smaller 

 game, but with six '500 cordite cartridges and no 

 500 rifle. Creeping up to the top of a neigh- 

 bouring ant-hill, I yelled myself hoarse to my 

 tracker to return with my rifle, but he had got 

 such a fright that he never stopped running until 

 he reached my carriers about half a mile away. To 

 them, he was good enough to report that I had 

 been killed, while I, very much alive, stood 

 helplessly gazing at the wounded bull, lying 

 spasmodically kicking his legs, a retinue of females 

 standing round and watching his antics. After 

 a period of ten minutes, the whole of which time 

 he had lain on his right side, the bull gave a few 

 desperate kicks, got to his feet, and calmly started 

 to walk away with the females. As he was moving 



