180 
ELEPHANT HUNT. 
[chap. vii. 
took place, tlie whole herd closing together and tearing 
off at full speed. “ Follow me !” I hallooed to my men, 
and touching my horse with the spur, I intended to 
dash into the midst of the herd. Just at that instant, 
in his start, my horse slipped and fell suddenly upon 
his side, falling upon my right leg and thus pinning 
me to the ground. He was not up to my weight, and 
releasing myself, I immediately mounted my old 
Abyssinian hunter, “ Tetel,” and followed the tracks 
of the elephants at full speed, accompanied by two of 
the Latookas, who ran like hounds. Galloping through 
the green but thornless bush, I soon came in sight of a 
grand bull elephant, steaming along like a locomotive 
engine straight before me. Digging in the spurs, I 
was soon within twenty yards of him; but the ground 
was so unfavourable, being full of buffalo holes, that I 
could not pass him. In about a quarter of an hour, 
after a careful chase over deep ruts and gullies con¬ 
cealed in high grass, I arrived at a level space, and 
shooting ahead, I gave him a shoulder shot with the 
Eeilly No. 10 rifle. I saw the wound in a good place, 
but the bull rushed along all the quicker, and again 
we came into bad ground that made it unwise to close. 
However, on the first opportunity I made a dash by 
him, and fired my left-hand barrel at full gallop. He 
slackened his speed, but I could not halt to reload, 
lest I should lose sight of him in the high grass and 
bush. 
Not a man was with me to hand a spare rifle. My 
cowardly fellows, although light-weights and well 
mounted, were nowhere; the natives were outrun, as 
of course was Eicharn, who, not being a good rider, 
had preferred to hunt on foot. In vain I shouted for 
the men; and I followed the elephant with an empty 
rifle for about ten minutes, until he suddenly turned 
round, and stood facing me in an open spot in grass 
about nine or ten feet high. “ Tetel ” was a grand 
horse for elephants, not having the slightest fear, and 
standing fire like a rock, never even starting under 
