HUNTIIiG IN THE INTERIOR OF SELANGORE. 323 



I hardly knew whetlier to be vexed or amused at my good 

 friend's impetuosity, for I felt that as an old elephant hunter of 

 four months' standing (and running also !) he should have allowed 

 me to lead the attack. I shall always regard it as a hunter's mira- 

 cle that we succeeded in approaching that animal when making so 

 much noise and going ahead so precipitately in open cover. 



With eveiy nerve strained to highest tension, Ave crept out 

 recklessly toward the upturned root, crouching almost into the 

 water, and after a few moments of breathless anxiety we reached it 

 and were within twelve paces of our elephant. I was totally sur- 

 prised at his not seeing, hearing, nor scenting us. He was utterly 

 unconscious of our presence until we both stej^ped from our cover, 

 aimed quickly at his temj)le and fired togethei\ 



The great beast gave a tremendous start as the bullets crashed 

 into his skull, threw his trunk aloft with a thrilling scream and 

 wheeled toward us. 



Before he bad time to make a single step forward we aimed for 

 the fatal spot over the eye and fired again. Down sank the pon- 

 derous head, the legs gave wa}', and the huge beast settled down 

 where he stood and rested in the mud, back uj^permost, with his 

 feet doubled under him. 



We instantly reloaded and came to a "ready," just as the tough 

 old pachyderm began to slightly recover and struggle to regain his 

 feet. Choosing our positions this time, a couple of shots behind 

 the ear penetrated his brain and settled matters. With a convul- 

 sive shudder and a deep groan the great creature slowly sank 

 back upon the ground, moved his trunk feebly a few moments, 

 fetched a deep sigh and expired. 



Of course all the other elephants had bolted at the first alarm, 

 and were by that time far away. Our followers came running up, 

 grinning from ear to ear at om- success, and when they surrounded 

 the fallen giant their exclamations of astonishment were loud and 

 fervent. We could not measure our game, but according to the 

 circumference of his fore foot, and his general appearance, he was 

 about eight feet in height at the shoulders. His back was thickly 

 encrusted all over with a half-inch coating of dried mud, the wise 

 provision of a sagacious animal against the attacks of the swarm of 

 huge gad-flies which buzzed about him. They bit the blood out 

 of us more than once, and annoyed us exceedingly while we were 

 at work on the dead elephant. 



In a pouring rain, we cut off his head and took his skull, cervi- 



