VIII 
EXCURSIONS FROM EL BOGOI 
189 
beyond. I stood in the path, facing across it but a little 
towards the left, in which direction the elephants I was watch¬ 
ing were running ; and had just fired a snap-shot at one I got 
a chance at, when, immediately, there was an ear-piercing, 
screaming trumpet, of the shrillest pitch, close to me. It 
sounded very angry, and I supposed it to be made by the 
animal I had just wounded, and stood, still gazing in the same 
direction and trying to make out, among the dust and bending 
bushes, a mark for my second barrel, when I felt a clap on my 
back, just under my right shoulder. Turning my head, I found 
myself face to face with an elephant, its black head and gleam¬ 
ing tusks just above me. It must have been running along 
the path I stood in ; screamed on seeing me in its way ; and, 
apparently, gave me a tap with its trunk to find out what I 
was, before making hay or pulp of me : but when I turned my 
head and looked it in the face, it seems to have become 
suddenly disconcerted ; for, as I threw up my rifle (and myself 
back, at the same moment), it sheered off, and, breaking 
through the bush, tore away after the others. I was not hurt 
at all, and that is why I conclude it was with its trunk, and 
not its tusk, that it gave me the pat. 
We had not been able to follow up each elephant I hit at the 
time. I had got into a hot corner, and had to make the most 
of it while it lasted. But some we had seen fall, and others 
we came upon dead while following up the herd. 
Late in the afternoon I killed three big bulls, well ; two of 
which, together with a smaller one, lay, almost on top of each 
other, in the mud, where we could hardly get to them without 
being bogged ; while the third, which had been crossing the 
stream, fell, to the second shot, just as it got on to the far 
bank. By sundown we had seen twelve lying dead ; but I had 
used all my cartridges. We had, however, not found the first 
bull I had fired at, though I felt sure it must be dead some¬ 
where near. I wanted to find this bull, as it had very hand¬ 
some tusks, and we spread out to look through the part of the 
