3 o6 ADVENTURES OF AN ELEPHANT HUNTER ch. 
yards of where I stood. Still keeping my eyes 
intently fixed on the elephant, I mechanically 
extended my hand for my second rifle, which 
Seremani was carrying, only to discover, to my 
intense dismay, that my boy, instead of following me 
like my shadow, had fallen a few yards behind. It 
was now too late for him to reach me, so resigning 
myself to the fate which I was always ready to meet, I 
stood absolutely still, feeling that my only chance of 
escape lay in not attracting the animal’s attention by 
the slightest movement. Seremani, a few yards 
behind me, also cognizant of the fact that any 
hope of safety lay in perfect immobility, strove for 
a few seconds to face the situation, but the terrifying 
spectacle of the huge beast, standing so close and 
staring at us with blood streaming down his face, 
unnerved the poor fellow and he dashed wildly to 
the rear into a clump of bamboos. That action 
saved my life, for, like a flash, the elephant rushed 
past me and after Seremani, and ere my boy had 
gone many yards, and before I could reload and fire, 
the animal overtook him, thrust his tusk through 
the poor fellow’s thigh and knelt on his chest. It is 
hardly possible for anyone to realize how swiftly 
this awful drama had taken place, but some idea 
may be formed of the celerity of the action when it 
is remembered that it was completed before I could 
eject my empty cartridge and reload. Raising my 
