246 
SPORT AND WAR. 
CHAP. XXIII. 
to make a complete circuit of the forest, showing him¬ 
self at one particular spot opposite to where we were 
posted each time he made the circuit. The first time 
he did so the elephant threw its great ears forward and 
appeared to look at us and decide not to come to the 
charge. The 4 trumpeting ’ during all this time was 
something terrific. 
His Excellency the G-overnor, who was on the high 
ground some distance above us, seeing the elephant 
appear at the same spot once or twice, galloped down 
to us, and said to me, 4 Bisset, there is the elephant; 
why don’t you go and shoot him ? ’ This was all very 
well for his Excellency, but Currie and I had the re¬ 
sponsibility of the Prince’s life upon our shoulders, 
and we knew that if we went to the spot where the 
elephant appeared there would be considerable danger, 
as the ground sloped down from the forest, and to 
shoot an elephant whilst charging in that position 
is most difficult. I replied, therefore, that I was 
quite prepared to go and face the elephant if he 
would not come to us, and so was Currie, but that 
we did not like to take the Prince into such great 
danger. His Eoyal Highness, however, hearing what 
I said, at once exclaimed that he was himself ready to 
go and face the elephant. 
We therefore walked to our horses, mounted, and 
rode up the slope to the edge of the bush, where the 
