552 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



near from the south. They were coming right on for the 

 spot where we lay, and they seemed very likely to walk over 

 the top of us. We therefore placed our two big rifles in 

 position, and awaited their forward movement with intense 

 interest. On they came, with slow and stately step, until 

 within twenty yards of us, when the leading elephant took 

 it into his head to pass to leeward. We let him come on 

 until he got our wind ; he was then within ten yards of the 

 muzzles of our heavy-metaled rifles ; on winding us, he 

 tossed his trunk aloft, and we instantly fired together. I 

 caught him somewhere about the heart, and my big six-pound 

 rifle burst in Carey's hands, very nearly killing us both. 

 The elephant, on being fired at, wheeled about, and retreated 

 to the forest at top speed. I now directed " Stick-in-the-mud" 

 to make use of his single-barreled twelve to the pound in the 

 event of more elephants coming up ; and thanking my stars 

 that the old Dutch rifle had not sent us both to the land of 

 the leal, I sat down and watched the dark masses of trees 

 that cut the sky on every side, in the hope of seeing a mass 

 as high and wide come towering forward into the open space 

 that surrounded the fountain. 



Nor did I watch long in vain, for very soon three princely 

 bull elephants appeared exactly where the first came on, and 

 holding exactly the same course. They approached just as 

 the first had done. When the leading elephant came within 

 ten yards of us, he got our wind and tossed up his trunk, 

 and was wheeling round to retreat, when we fired together, 

 and sent our bullets somewhere about his heart. He ran two 

 hundred yards and then stood, being evidently dying. His 

 comrades halted likewise, but one of them, the finest of the 

 three, almost immediately turned his head once more to the 

 fountain, and very slowly and warily came on. We now 

 heard the wounded elephant utter the cry of death, and fall 

 heavily on the earth. Carey, whose ears were damaged by 



