EXCITING HUNT. 315 



clouds above their backs. Mutchuisho and I now de- 

 scended into the jungle, and crept stealthily along, list- 

 ening for the breathing of the elephants. They had 

 moved to the lower side^ and were standing thick to- 

 gether within one hundred yards of the outside. On 

 ascertaining their position, we emerged from the cover, 

 and followed along the outside until we were opposite 

 them. I then stalked in within twenty yards, and fired 

 at the side of the head of the elephant that stood next 

 to me ; and before the smokehad cleared, my back was 

 to them, and I was running for the outside of the cover 

 at my utmost speed. The elephants held their ground ; 

 so, having loaded, I again drew near, and fired sharp 

 right and left into another, and, turning my back, ran 

 for it once more. E,e-entering the cover a third time, 

 I was listening which way they had gone, when, cast- 

 ing my eyes to the left, a noble elephant lay dead be- 

 fore me. The ball had penetrated to her brain, and 

 she had dropped dead upon the spot. 



A little after this an old cow came charging after the 

 dogs, and took up a position in the jungle close beside 

 us. We heard her preparing for a second charge, when 

 the natives beat a precipitate retreat ; but I very rashly 

 waited to receive her, and just as she cleared the cover 

 I let fly at her forehead. Regardless of my shot, she 

 came down upon me at a tremendous pace, shrilly 

 trumpeting. It was rather a near thing, for I was bur- 

 dened with my rifle and rhinoceros-horn loading-rod, 

 and my shooting-belt containing about forty rounds of 

 ammunition. I escaped her by my speed, and the in 

 stant she halted I faced about, and gave her the other 

 barrel behind the shoulder. 



Night now set in, and I saw no more of the ele- 

 phants. A number of them were wounded and must 



