Jungle By-Ways in India 



the ears in a great flap and up went the trunk, 

 and he stood the very embodiment of vigilance, 

 and, so it appeared to my acutely strung senses, 

 of mischief as well. I was directly facing him, my 

 rifle up at the shoulder. The Colonel was a little 

 to my left so as to be able to get a side shot if 

 necessary ; and Bishu, the plucky Bishu, armed 

 with his tiny axe, was a pace or two to my right 

 rear. So we all stood, for what to me seemed an 

 interminable space of time. Probably it was at 

 most half a minute. I spent the period in re- 

 gretting I had not fired sooner — Colonel or no 

 Colonel, rules or no rules. We were not paid to 

 risk our lives from wandering wild animals whom 

 rules protected. Our good luck (or was it bad 

 luck !) was with us, however, for after standing 

 like a statue for the half-minute, the great beast 

 spun round like a teetotum and went crashing off 

 through the grass, through the bamboo-shaded 

 stream, and up an opposite hill-side before one had 

 realized that he was not going to charge. I must 

 say that we all heaved great sighs of relief when 

 the tension was over ; but I for one remained 

 bitterly disappointed at not having had a shot. 

 There is little doubt (and so I was told after- 

 wards by my chief) that we should not have made 

 the mistake in letting him get so close. Had he 

 charged from where he was, the odds are that he 

 must have got one of us. None of the coolies had 

 bolted. They were all just behind us, and if he 



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