10 FOX-HOUND, FOREST, AND PRAIRIE. 



move in the jungle except along the lane made by the 

 elephants, who were at this time about fifty yards from us, 

 keeping up an infernal chorus of growling, trumpeting, and 

 roaring. We hurried along as fast as we could over the deep 

 ground ; but two or three times, as we were close to them, they 

 crashed off again for a short distance, and again stood awaiting 

 us. At last they made up their minds to be bullied no longer., 

 and, letting us approach to within twenty yards, charged down 

 upon us with an awful crash, the dense thicket yielding like 

 straw before them. We could now only wait for them and 

 take our chance ; the jungle like a wall on each side of us, and 

 not a tree near to serve as shelter on an emergency. They 

 came on till within about ten yards of us, before we could see 

 the two leading elephants. C., taking the left-hand one, gave 

 him a front shot, which stopped and turned but did not kill 

 him, and he floundered off to the left, with as much lead in his 

 head as he could carry with any degree of comfort. The other 

 leader turned a little to the left at C.'s shot, and I was able to 

 give him one between the eye and ear, which made him turn 

 completely round, like a dog after his tail, blundering on and 

 off his knees, and C. finished him with his left barrel behind 

 the ear. The rest of the herd declined coming on when the 

 two leaders were stopped ; and perhaps it was as well for us 

 that they did. We loaded as quickly as possible, and walked 

 up to the dead elephant, but not being sure of the whereabouts 

 of the others, kept our eyes about us. It was fortunate for us 

 that we did not go up carelessly, for all at once we made out 

 the head of an elephant, with ears cocked and ready for a rush, 

 not five yards from his deceased relative. We both fired at the 

 same instant, and he sank quietly down on his knees as dead as 

 a herring. This was, no doubt, the leader of the party, who 

 had quietly hidden himself, meaning to come down on us when 

 we should be unprepared. There is generally one of these 

 brutes in a herd the most cunning and dangerous of the lot. 

 Neither of the dead elephants turned out to be the one fired at 

 at first ; but we were pretty tired out, so were glad to give up. 



