IV 
THE ELEPHANT 
131 
form, but it cuts through intervening branches and 
goes direct to its aim, breaking bones and keeping 
a straight course through the animal. This means 
death. 
At the same time it must'be remembered that a 
*577 rifle may be enabled to perform wonders by 
adapting the material of the bullet to the purpose 
specially desired. No soft-skinned animal should 
be shot with a hardened bullet, and no hard-skinned 
animal should be shot with a soft bullet. 
You naturally wish to kill your animal neatly— 
to double it up upon the spot. This you will 
seldom or never accomplish with a very hard bullet 
and a heavy charge of powder, as the high velocity 
will drive the hard projectile so immediately through 
the animal that it receives no striking energy, and 
is accordingly unaware of a fatal wound that it may 
have received, simply because it has not sustained 
a shock upon the impact of a bullet which has passed 
completely through its body. 
To kill a thin-skinned animal neatly, such as a 
tiger, lion, large deer, etc. etc., the bullet should be 
pure lead, unmixed with any other metal. This 
will flatten to a certain degree immediately upon 
impact, and it will continue to expand as it meets 
with resistance in passing through the tough muscles 
of a large animal, until it assumes the shape of a 
fully developed mushroom, which, after an immense 
amount of damage in its transit, owing to its large 
diameter, will remain fixed beneath the skin upon 
the side opposite to its place of entry. This bestows 
