V 
NDOROBO ELEPHANT-HUNTING 
107 
short way from my temporary camp (which was then right 
under the mountain, in a little open valley, the wide expanse 
of scrub stretching away in all directions below) when we heard 
the elephants. The breeze being happily favourable for once, 
I got up close without much difficulty, and made out two or 
three enormous bulls standing together. One faced me, 
another, whose tusks (from the glimpse I got) seemed as good, 
stood broadside on. By great good luck I could see the 
vulnerable part of his ribs, just behind his shoulder, through a 
little opening among the leaves, etc., and was able to get a 
shot by kneeling. Following, as they disappeared instantly 
after I fired, there was just a colour of blood (a very spot or 
two only) ; and, though I felt positive my aim had been true, 
I began to fear another failure. But, just after, he was heard 
ahead, and a little way on we came up to him standing in a little 
bare place. I gave him two more shots and he toppled over. 
Rushing up, we cut off his tail, and I had just brushed past 
his hind legs and pointed out my first shot (right over 
the heart), when he got on to his legs again and we cleared 
out of his way sharp. Getting the “ cripple-stopper,” I gave 
him a couple more shots, but they were unnecessary ; for, 
though so huge a beast takes some time to die from a tiny 
pellet of a bullet, he could not move away from where he 
stood, and, after swaying and tottering some time, he fell 
over again with a great crash, fairly bounding up again on 
to his stern, like a ship going down with its bows in the 
air ; sitting up, as it were, for a moment, his huge head and 
tusks aloft, before collapsing to rise no more. A truly gigantic 
beast ! What a little pop-gun my rifle appeared to such 
monsters. The skin of his back was like the bark of some 
great tree : all hard, scaly lumps, as is that of a big old 
crocodile. I measured him as accurately as I could and copy 
the entry as follows:—“He measured fully 10 feet 8 or 9 
inches high at shoulder by tape ; 14 feet long from root of 
trunk to root of tail; circumference of fore foot 5 feet; his body 
