Pursued by Elephants 217 



and to turn tail foolishly. However, I keep at a 

 respectable distance, about sixty yards, whereas in the 

 case of a male animal I place myself at fifteen or 

 twenty. Aiming at the shoulder of one of the females, 

 I fire. 



The country is relatively open. The report has no 

 sooner rung out than two trumpet-blasts announce 

 the charge, and one of the females (not the one at 

 which I have fired) dashes to the right. As she is 

 going to scent me, I withdraw fifty yards. At the 

 same time I see the native come up with the intention 

 of cutting off the animal's retreat. She immediately 

 scents him, which is only natural, and we witness a mad 

 race between the man and the furious elephant which 

 pursues him. He cleverly escapes, and the animal 

 loses his scent, but another trumpet-blast rings forth, 

 and the second female, which was on the watch, in 

 turn throws herself upon him. Notwithstanding two 

 bullets which I send into her head, one of which 

 strikes her violently, she passes on our right a few 

 yards behind the unfortunate fellow, almost touching 

 him. . . . The two fresh reports have attracted the 

 attention of the first animal, which again charges the 

 smoke from my rifle, while we decamp at the top of 

 our speed, only thirty yards ahead of the animal. . . . 

 But she loses our wind and goes off to rejoin the other 

 in the distance, both of them then disappearing in 

 the direction whence their companions, including the 

 wounded animal and a small one, have already 

 gone. 



Where is Katchwa ? He is bleeding from the 



