ELEPHANT AND BISON. 
to refrain ; at last they quietly walked away without seeing 
us. We came to a long check, having got on to a last night's 
track, but again hitting off the right track away we went for 
some miles, and at last heard the loud cnishing of bamboos 
ahead. The wind being unfavourable we circled round, and 
approaching very carefully soon saw a big head; and we heard 
other elephants beyond. Atley pointed to the head we had 
first seen. I whispered that I could see no tusks, but he 
said ** That's a big one." I crept up to a tree within ten or 
twelve paces of him as he stood on the other side of a very 
thin bamboo clump facing me. The front of his head was 
quite clear, so kneeling down on one knee to obtain a better 
angle I fired my rifle loaded with a spherical ball, and four 
and a half ounces of powder ; to my astonishment it did not 
even stop him, and before I could get the other rifle he had 
