A FURIOUS CHARGE. 
309 
partially hidden by two well-grown calves, whom 
the jolly old patriarch was busily caressing. A 
very slight change of attitude was all I required 
to enable me to send him to the land of shades 5 
and I waited in breathless anxiety for this oppor¬ 
tunity. To my intense disappointment, however, 
the huge beast all at once tossed his trunk on 
high, and giving his sides two or three smart 
slaps with his monstrous ears, turned abruptly round 
and made off, instantly followed by the whole herd. 
But it would never do to allow them thus to 
escape. Springing therefore to my feet, and ad¬ 
vancing a few steps, I levelled and fired at the 
second in size of the males, just as he was dis¬ 
appearing from view. The bullet struck him, but 
very unsatisfactorily, as it glanced from off his hide 
and went hissing through the air. In a moment 
the retreating column turned right about, and made 
a furious and headlong charge, all hut over me. I 
had thrown myself flat on the ground, sheltered 
only by an insignificant little shrub. A false move 
would have been my death. After looking about 
him inquiringly, the Paterfamilias made a second 
dash at the supposed foe, in which charge the en¬ 
raged brute actually tore up by the roots and car¬ 
ried off with him a whole tree. He looked the very 
picture of rage and grandeur as, for a few seconds, 
he stood exposed to full view, part of the shattered 
tree still clinging to his tusks. I was thoroughly 
scared, and held my breath in dreadful and 
agonising suspense. Not being able to discover 
anything, he once more faced about and, accom- 
