152 BEASTS AND MEN 
six feet at the shoulder and possessed tusks eighteen inches 
long. At that time the animals had to be shipped from 
Bremen, and so I went down to the railway station in Ham- 
burg to see all the beasts properly entrained, leaving the 
keeper to bring along the elephant. Whilst I was in a van 
stowing away boxes, the elephant, which was very restive, 
was brought in and fastened up in acorner. The people who 
had brought him then departed, leaving me alone with the 
great quadruped and one other man, who was also at work in 
Dwarf elephant from the Congo. ~ 
the van. Suspecting no danger I paid no attention to the 
animal, but went on with my work. Suddenly I received a 
terrific blow from behind and saw two tusks gleaming on 
either side of me. I realised in a flash that the elephant was 
trying to impale me against the wall. The tusks squeezed 
me on either side, and the brute was pressing me against the 
wall, but by vigorous wriggling I managed to slip down be- 
tween the tusks and fall beneath the giant’s body. There I lay 
groaning on the ground, but the other man, whose attention 
had by this time been attracted, rushed to the rescue and 
hauled me into safety. The pain in my back was terrible, but 
