140 BIG GAME SHOOTING 
up went the tail, and down he came like a gigantic bat, 
ten feet across. Pinned above and on either side, by dis- 
mounting I could neither hope to escape nor to kill my 
opponent. I therefore lugged my unfortunate animal round 
and urged him along; but I had not taken into account 
with what great difficulties and how slowly I had followed the 
bull. He was now in full charge, and the small trees and 
bush gave way before him like reeds, whereas I was com- 
pelled to keep my head lowered as before and try and 
hold the path, such as it was, up which we had come. I 
was well mounted, and my spurs were sharp. Battered and 
torn by branch and thorn I managed a kind of gallop, but 
it was impossible to keep it up. The elephant thundered 
straight through obstacles we were obliged to go round, and 
in fifty yards we were fast in a thick bush and he within 
fifteen of us. As a last chance I tried to get off, but in 
rolling round on my saddle my spur gored the pony’s flank, 
and the elephant screaming over him at the same moment, he 
made a convulsive effort and freed himself, depositing me in a 
sitting position immediately in front of the uplifted forefoot of 
the charging bull. So near was it that I mechanically opened 
my knees to allow him to put it down. and, throwing myself 
back, crossed my hands upon my chest, obstinately puffing 
myself out with the idea of trying to resist the gigantic tread, or 
at all events of being as troublesome to crush as possible. I 
saw the burly brute from chest to tail as he passed directly over 
me lengthways, one foot between my knees, and one fourteen 
inches beyond my head, and not a graze! Five tons at least! 
As he turned from chasing the pony—which, without my weight 
and left to its own instinct, escaped easily to my after-rider’s 
horse—he swept by me on his way to rejoin his companions, 
and I got another snap shot at hissshoulders. As soon as I 
could I followed his spoor, but must have changed it in the 
thick bush, for in five minutes I had run into and killed a fresh 
elephant in a smallopen space. ‘The Bushmen found the first, 
next morning, dead. 
