296 
ELEPHANT-HUNTING IN EAST A EPIC A 
CHAP. 
herd standing close to the edge of the swamp at about the 
same place as yesterday. It seemed a herd of bulls, chiefly at 
any rate ; there were a few I took for cows, but I incline to 
think they may have been young bulls, and that they and their 
tusks seemed so small by contrast with the monsters. The 
herd may have numbered perhaps twenty or thereabouts ; it 
did not seem a large one. In order to get up to them I had 
to skirt the swamp and pass through some mud^the wind 
being favourable that way, while there was just enough cover 
to allow a near approach, with caution. The sun had but just 
risen behind the elephants, its horizontal rays thus shining 
right in my eyes ; and, to add to the difficulties, no sooner had 
we got to the edge of the swamp than the mosquitoes attacked 
us in myriads. It was useless to attempt to combat them : one 
saw them hanging from one’s eyelids ; they got into my ears, 
down my neck, even into my mouth, and bit me all over, 
through clothes and everything. But I had to disregard them, 
as far as possible, and concentrate my attention on my game. 
I crept up behind some low bushes to pretty close quarters 
to the herd, which stood in a clump. One big fellow, with fine 
tusks, was nearest me, just the other side of this slight screen. 
He came forward a little, giving me a good side shot, and, 
fearing they were about to enter the swamp, I seized the 
opportunity and gave him a shot in the shoulder. There was 
but a very slight breeze blowing in my face, and the volumes 
of smoke, from 10 drams of the abominable old black powder, 
hung in the heavy morning air, so that I could not use my 
second barrel at once. However, the elephants seemed uncertain 
at first which way to run, and, opening out a little as they 
moved about in confusion, allowed me to make out two or 
three real monsters (though nearly all were large bulls) ; so, 
picking out two of the others with the biggest tusks (having 
by this time reloaded my right barrel), I sent a bullet into the 
ribs of each. The herd then swung round and set off at a 
run, describing a semicircle so as to get into the swamp behind 
