A GOODLY SIGHT. 225 



them. The bamboos are left lying at every conceivable angle from the 

 different clumps, interlaced across the spaces between, and twisted into every 

 shape. 



When we reached the almost dry bed of the stream we observed a 

 nelly tree {Phyllanthus emhlica) overhanging the bed on the far side, under 

 which the elephant had stood for some time, picking up the acid fruit, of 

 which elephants and other herbivorous animals are fond. He had remained 

 here until an hour before. He would not be likely to travel fast, even if 

 he kept moving, during the heat of the day. So, much encouraged, and 

 refreshed by a hasty drink of water, we scrambled up the bank in his tracks, 

 at a place where no one who has not seen what a wild elephant can do 

 would imagine it could ascend, and then spread to find wliich direction he 

 had taken. He had wandered about a good deal, and his tracks were con- 

 fused. At this moment, from in front of us, and about a hundred and fifty 

 yards distant, came the pleasant sound to the ears of weary trackers of a 

 breaking bamboo ! The elephant was not alarmed ; this we knew by the 

 character of the sound ; and as we all collected again, I held up a handful 

 of powdered dry leaves to see how the wind blew. Such as there was was 

 favourable, and taking my gun-bearers, Jaffer and Birram, and two of the 

 best Kurrabas, we went towards the elephant. The other trackers climbed 

 trees to be out of harm's way. All wild animals are liable to return by the 

 path they have come, if suddenly alarmed, and it is by no means safe for 

 followers to remain on the track when a wounded beast is on foot. 



When we were about forty yards from the elephant the Kurrabas sud- 

 denly pointed him out ; they whispered eagerly, " Bhoopa ! komhu nordu ! " 

 (what a monster ! look at his tusks !) He was certainly a magnificent beast. 

 He stood with his hind- quarters against a tree, toying listlessly with a 

 bamboo, and looked even larger than he really was, from standing on rising 

 ground. I almost trembled with eagerness when I saw the prize ! His 

 tusks were twice as large as any I had ever seen before. I dreaded losing 

 him. His head was in full view, but the distance was rather too great for a 

 certain shot at the brain. What if I lost him as I had done the rogue some 

 months before ! 



I dared not contemplate such a thing, so taking aim at him behind the 

 shoulder, about half-way up the body, I fired the 4-bore, loaded with 10 

 drams of powder and a hardened lead-and-quicksilver bullet. This shot 

 took him about a foot too far back, as I afterwards found. With a shrill 

 scream of pain away the elephant went over the rising ground. We ran to 

 the top, hoping to hear him fall, but he was soon out of hearing. The other 

 men joined us, and we explained what had occurred ; then dividing the track- 



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