62 IN THE INDIAN JUNGLE. 



was the Terror of Hunsur coming down on them 

 in a terrific charge. From the position in which 

 Gumming was sitting a fatal shot at the elephant 

 was almost impossible, as it carried its head high 

 and only its chest was exposed. A shot there 

 might rake the body without touching lungs or 

 heart, and then the brute would be on him. With- 

 out the least sign of haste and with the utmost 

 unconcern Gordon Gumming still seated, flung his 

 sola topee (sun hat) at the beast when it was about 

 ten yards from him. The rogue stopped moment- 

 arily to examine this strange object, and lowered 

 its head for the purpose. This was exactly what 

 Gumming wanted, and quick as thought a bullet, 

 planted in the centre of the prominence just above 

 the trunk, crashed through its skull, and the 

 Terror of Hunsur dropped like a stone, shot dead. 

 " Ah, comrade," said Yalloo, when relating the 

 story, " I could have kissed the Bahadoor's (my 

 lord's) feet when I saw him put the gun down, and 

 go on eating his biscuit just as if he had only shot 

 a bird of some kind, instead of that devil of an 

 elephant. I was ready to die of fright ; yet here 

 was the Sahib sitting down as if his life had not been 

 in frightful jeopardy just a moment before. Truly, 

 the Sahibs are great ! >J 



