II2 
WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WA VS 
CHAP. 
was a sudden rush, a shrill trumpet, and the jungle 
crashed around us in magnificent style to those who 
enjoy such excitement, and a herd of elephants 
dashed through the dense thicket and consolidated 
themselves into a mighty block as they endeavoured 
to force down the tough thorny mass ahead of them. 
This was a grand opportunity to run in, but a 
phalanx of opposing rumps like the sterns of Dutch 
vessels in a crowd rendered it impossible to shoot, or 
to pass ahead of the perplexed animals. A female 
elephant suddenly wheeled round, and charged 
straight into us; fortunately I killed her with a 
forehead shot exactly below the boss or projection 
above the trunk. I now took a spare rifle, the half- 
pounder, and fired into the flank of the largest 
elephant in the herd, just behind the last rib, the 
shot striking obliquely, thus aimed to reach the 
lungs, as I could not see any of the fore portion of 
the body. 
The dense compressed thorny mass of jungle 
offered such resistance that it was some time before 
it gave way before the united pressure of these 
immense animals. At length it yielded as the herd 
crashed through, but it then closed again upon us 
and made following impossible. However, we 
felt sure that the elephant I had hit with the half- 
pound explosive shell would die, and after creeping 
through upon the tracks with the greatest difficulty 
for about 150 yards, we found it lying dead upon 
its side. 
The whole morning was occupied in cutting up 
