ELEPHANT-HUNTING. 61 



where We secured our horses under the screen of its 

 umbrageous foliage, and having duly reconnoitred 

 the herd, crept on to the encounter. The rays of the 

 setting sun were gilding the mountain-tops, leaving 

 the valley in deep shade, when we penetrated into its 

 gloomy recesses. The quiet which reigned through- 

 out this solitude was occasionally broken by the 

 crash of falling branches torn from their parent 

 trunks by the elephants, which stood browsing in 

 indolent security : then all was again hushed, as we 

 moved cautiously forward to take a deliberate survey 

 of the herd, which we discovered to be very numerous. 

 It was requisite carefully to mark the direction of the 

 breeze, so as to keep the elephants to windward, since 

 our nearer approach might otherwise have been be- 

 trayed by the remarkable acuteness of their scent. 

 Whilst endeavouring to get within shot, Thackwray 

 observed an elephant coming towards him, and when 

 it had approached within thirty or forty yards of the 

 spot where he was stationed, he fired, and his shot 

 being quickly followed by that of his attendant, all 

 was confusion in an instant. The report of the 

 guns and the screams of the wounded animal had 

 disturbed the whole herd, which rushed down the 

 valley with tremendous violence, bending and crush- 

 ing in their descent whatever opposed their pro- 

 gress. We followed the track of the wounded 

 elephant, which had bled profusely ; and found, on 

 reaching the place where it fell, that it had 



