98 SPORT IN ASIA AND AFRICA 



before we reached the place. The bamboos 

 were hollow and were easily crushed by an 

 elephant, and they accordingly afforded no pro- 

 tection. The wind was favourable, and we got 

 into the midst of the herd ; and while we stood, 

 listening to the crashing of the bamboos, a 

 number of elephants in single file walked across 

 our front. They were at least lOO yards from 

 me, and were walking fairly fast, but Judd 

 whispered : " The last one is a bull." I under- 

 stood this to be a hint to fire, and I accord- 

 ingly tried a heart shot. There was silence for 

 a moment, and then an elephant trumpeted and 

 the herd stampeded. We followed, and the 

 elephants, leaving the bamboos, entered thick 

 forest, trees hung with creepers making very 

 dense cover. My gun-bearer, the man I had 

 before Johnny, who behaved well on this occasion, 

 saw an elephant standing in the forest and 

 beckoned me. I was on an elephant-path through 

 the forest not far from the animal ; but, before I 

 made him out, he saw me and charged. Pre- 

 sumably he was the elephant at which I had 

 fired, but it is impossible to be sure of this. I 

 could hear him coming, but could see nothing, so 

 decided to reserve my fire until his head should 

 appear through the screen of branches and 

 creepers above the path. By this time he would 

 have been within three or four yards of me ; 

 but, even for an elephant, rapid travelling through 

 such dense cover was impossible, and a shot in 

 the forehead might have stopped or turned him. 

 Fortunately for me, Judd, who was on my left, 

 caught sight of the elephant, when, as he said, 



