A HERD OF BULL ELEPHANTS ll 



issuing from tha funnels of a thousand steam-boats 

 Here, to my astonishment, ray guide halted, and point- 

 ed to the thicket close beneath me, when I instantly 

 perceived the colossal backs of a herd of bull elephants. 

 There they stood, quietly browsing on the lee side of 

 ■the hill, while the fire in its might was raging to wind- 

 ward within two hundred yards of them. 



I directed Johannus to choose an elephant, and prom- 

 ised to reward him should he prove successful. Gal- 

 loping furiously down the hill, I started the elephants 

 with an unearthly yell, and instantly selected the finest 

 bull in the herd. Placing myself alongside, I fired both 

 barrels behind his shoulder, when he instantly turned 

 upon me, and in his impetuous career charged head 

 foremost into a large bushy tree, which he sent flying 

 before him high in the air with tremendous force, com- 

 ing down at the same moment violently on his knees. 

 He then met the raging fire, when, altering his course, 

 he wheeled to the right-about. As I galloped after him 

 I perceived another noble elephant meeting us in an 

 opposite direction, and presently the gallant Johannus 

 hove in sight, following his quarry at a respectful dis- 

 tance. Both elephants held on together; so I shouted 

 to Johannus, " I will give your elephant a shot in the 

 shoulder, and you must try to finish him." Spurring 

 my horse, I rode close alongside, and gave the fresh ele- 

 phant two balls immediately behind the shoulder, when 

 he parted from mine, Johannus following; but before 

 many minutes had elapsed that mighty Nimrod reap- 

 peared, having fired one shot and lost his prey. 



In the mean time I- was loading and firing as fast as 

 could be, sometimes at the head, and sometimes behind 

 the shciulder, until my elephant's fore quarters were a 

 mass of gore, notwithstanding which he continued to 



