DESPERATE CHARGE. 
349 
the hope it might so far change as to expose the 
outer part of his shoulder—the preferable point, as I 
have said, to aim at when shooting at night. But, un¬ 
fortunately, this chance was not afforded until he 
was close upon me, when the nature of the ground 
caused him to incline somewhat to one side. The 
consequence was, that, while in the act of raising 
the muzzle of my rifle over the “ screen,” my 
person caught his eye, and before I could place the 
piece to my shoulder, he swung himself round, and, 
with trunk elevated and ears cocked, desperately 
charged me. It was now too late to think of flight, 
much less of slaying the savage beast. My own life 
was in imminent jeopardy, and seeing that, if I 
remained partially erect, he would inevitably seize 
me with his proboscis, I threw myself on my back 
with some violence, in which position, and whilst 
his enormous bulk towered above my head, I, with¬ 
out shouldering my rifle, fired upwards at random 
towards his chest, uttering, at the same time, the 
most piercing shouts and cries. This change of 
position in all probability saved my life ; for, at the 
same instant, the trunk of the enraged animal de¬ 
scended precisely on the spot where I had been 
previously crouched, sweeping away the stones 
(many of a large size) that formed the fore part of 
my “ screen,” like so many pebbles. In another 
moment his broad fore-feet passed directly over my 
face. 
I now expected nothing short of being crushed 
to death. But imagine my relief when, instead of 
renewing the charge, he swerved to the left, and 
