WITH FLASH-LIGHT AND RIFLE 



stood there absolutely still except for the flapping of 

 their long ears. It was an impressive and at the same 

 time an uncanny sight. 



Notwithstanding the distance, I fired at the nearest 

 male elephant, the mightiest bull of them all. The 

 wounded animal raised his trunk high up, spread out 

 his ears like two gigantic fans, and made a few steps 

 towards us. The whole herd now scattered to look for 

 the hidden foe. I was kneeling, while my men lay flat 

 on their faces. I sent two more bullets into the male 

 elephant. The whole herd then gathered around an old 

 female elephant, and broke away in a quick shuffle. 

 Since they turned to the right, I enjoyed the grand 

 sight of twenty-four elephants passing at a distance 

 of about four hundred and fifty feet. The wounded 

 male passed a little nearer to me, and I could not re- 

 frain from firing at him once more. The whole herd 

 stopped, took the young ones into their midst, looked 

 around, and sniffed the air. They discovered us, and, 

 led by two females, they came to attack us. 



The situation became very critical; for in the long- 

 run the animals were bound to overtake us. I fled as 

 fast as my feet would carry me in the wake of my men, 

 who were running away from the animals at a right 

 angle. They knew, as I did, that the elephants' sense 

 of sight is weak, and that our only chance of escape lay 

 in changing, from time to time, the direction of our 

 flight. We did not dare look around, but hurried on 



104 



