AN UNLUCKY ELEPHANT-HUNT 



On a bed, surrounded on three sides by a screen of cotton- 

 sheeting, lay a young man of two or three and twenty, 

 with good features and very light-coloured complexion, his 

 fine eyes looking the larger and more brilliant by reason 

 of the thinness of his face. The floor of the tucul was 

 spread with carpets ; in the centre were the remains of 

 a fire, while close to the bed a large and gorgeous silk 

 cushion had been placed for me to sit on. He insisted 

 on being raised to shake hands with me, although the 

 effort evidently gave him considerable pain. After a 

 little conversation, I handed him the magazine pistol for 

 his father, Ras Beettiwadad Mangasha ; he took much 

 interest in its working, and soon grasped the method of 

 handling it. Then he insisted on my firing it into the 

 earth beside him ; the carpets were rolled up, and, 

 selecting a place that seemed free from stones, I emptied 

 five cartridge-cases in quick succession. He seemed 

 greatly pleased and much impressed with the penetra- 

 tion of the little bullet. Next we talked about shikar, 

 and I showed him my rifle ; he soon understood the 

 telescopic sight, and had a door opened, that he might 

 see the country through it. I now requested him to 

 tell me about his accident. It appeared that, while out 

 hunting, he had distanced his followers, and headed off 

 a baby elephant from a herd. It began to squeal, and 

 the herd, which till then had been in full retreat, sud- 

 denly wheeled round and came back : still the Dedjatch 

 would not leave his prize, and his men, fearing for his 

 safety, fired a volley, when unfortunately one of their 

 bullets struck, and lodged in, the shin-bone of his left 

 leg. Great difficulty had been experienced in carrying 



