366 



THROUGH JUNGLE AND DESERT 



CHAP. 



the wants of his people, and he wished I would set 

 out at once and kill more ; so I took five of their 

 number, and again went into the bush. We had not 

 been five minutes away from the spot where I had 

 just slain the elephant, and from which we could 

 hear shouts and all sorts of human noises, when I 

 was surprised to hear loud trumpeting not thirty feet 

 away from me. At the sound my five guides left 

 me, and I whispered to my gun-bearers that they 

 must stand by me. 



We cautiously peered through the bush, and I could 

 see the outlines of an enormous male elephant, armed 

 with beautiful tusks, and standing broadside to me, 

 with his trunk raised high in the air, as if trying to 

 find us. I aimed directly at his shoulder, and fired ; 

 then, waiting until the smoke cleared, I fired my sec- 

 ond barrel. Again the dreadful trumpeting and crack- 

 ing of bush. I could see nothing, but I hastened to 

 throw myself out of the path, and my example was 

 speedily followed by my gun-bearers. We had scarcely 

 done so, when seven elephants passed within one foot 

 of our prostrate forms. This was hot work, and I 

 began to think the game was not worth the candle. 

 Owing to the dense bush, I could not see more than 

 one beast at a time, but there always seemed to be 

 nearly six or seven. As soon as I fired, they dashed 

 rapidly down-wind, and, as one goes up-wind to get 

 elephants, I was always directly in their path. The 

 range is so close that there is not time to reload ; 

 and even if one does reload, the brutes are upon one 

 ere aim can be taken and a shot fired. It is most 

 dangerous work, but exhilarating. 



