244 After Big Game in Central Africa 



animal in profile." At the same time I ask Msiambiri 

 in which direction we shall run afterwards. He points 

 to the left. The elephants are by this time not more 

 than sixteen yards away, and several of them must 

 have already noticed our group of six men. " Don't 

 move," I repeat. There is just a chance we shall 

 escape if we keep still. My choice is fixed upon 

 a magnificent male to the right. 



After being much tempted to aim at the base of 

 the trunk that is, in front I decide on the shoulder. 

 While aiming to the left of the trunk, under the 

 point of the ear, I look out of the corner of one eye 

 at another male on my left upon which I decide as 

 a fitting mark for my second shot. The elephants 

 continue to advance in battle array. . . . 



I raise my 8 -bore, lean well forward ready to 

 receive its violent recoil, and press the trigger. . . . 

 All my attention is fixed momentarily on the elephant, 

 which utters a ringing trumpet-blast. . . . The other 

 one stops and then turns to the left. I fire my second 

 shot right into its shoulder. . . . Throwing the 

 8-bore to the ground, I seize the Express and am 

 selecting a third animal when Msiambiri cries, " Ti-t' 

 awe!"- i.e., "Let us be off." Away we scamper in 

 the direction agreed upon, at the same time that one- 

 of the elephants charges Tambarika in the very 

 middle of the plain. Never have I seen a man run 

 as he does ! The elephant chases him for about 150 

 yards, and at one time almost touches him ; but a 

 slim, muscular man, possessed of stamina, can save his 

 life on level ground. The animal's anger cools down, 



