322 
ELEPHANT-HUNTING IN EAST AFRICA 
CH. XIV 
slowly retreating elephants. I may say parenthetically here, in 
explanation of the behaviour of these elephants, that, though 
there are, I believe, some natives across the river who hunt 
them and sometimes kill a few, the inhabitants generally 
all round this part stand in great fear of these animals, 
and run away whenever they happen to come across any. 
Hence, I fancy, the elephants have become accustomed to 
this treatment, and, regarding human beings with contempt, are 
inclined to be aggressive and so exceptionally dangerous. 
Advancing hastily thus, on the look-out for another shot, I 
came suddenly on two or three round a corner of the path. 
Among them was the vicious cow, and she came for me at a 
rush. I say the vicious cow, because, from her short stature and 
small tusks, I believe she must have been the same that had 
made the short charge earlier in the day; I could also see that 
there was a large calf following her as she came. I stood to 
face her, and threw up my rifle to fire at her head as she came 
on, at a quick run, without raising her trunk or uttering a sound, 
realising in a moment that this was the only thing to do, so 
short was the distance separating us. The click of the striker 
was the only result of pulling the trigger. No cartridge had 
entered the barrel on my working the bolt after the last shot, 
though the empty case had flown out! In this desperate 
situation I saw at once that my case was well-nigh hopeless. 
The enraged elephant was by this time within a few strides of 
me ; the narrow path was walled in on each side with thick 
scrub. To turn and run down the path in an instinctive effort 
to escape was all I could do, the elephant overhauling me at 
every step. As I ran those few yards I made one spasmodic 
attempt to work the mechanism of the treacherous magazine, 
and, pointing the muzzle behind me without looking round, 
tried it again ; but it was no go. She was now all but upon 
me. Dropping the gun, I sprang out of the path to the right 
and threw myself down among some brushwood in the vain 
hope that she might pass on. But she was too close ; and, 
