chap, xxiii. THE ELEPHANT-HUNT. 247 
elephant had regularly appeared in making the circuit 
of the wood. We dismounted, and stood prepared; I 
was, however, quite aware that we were standing at a 
great disadvantage, because the elephant would charge 
down-hill at us, and it would be almost impossible to 
give him a deadly shot in that position, as an elephant’s 
brain is not only very small, but is situated at the very 
back of his head. In a few minutes the elephant 
appeared at the same spot, but did not charge, passing 
on into the forest again. His Eoyal Highness did not 
see the beast to sufficient advantage to fire, and we 
all, therefore, reserved our shots. Immediately on our 
left front there was a little bare hollow, which led down 
from the forest, just where the elephant appeared ; and 
knowing that he would be some time before he had 
again completed the circuit of the wood, I ran across 
this hollow, to see if I could find a better stand before 
he reappeared, and discovered that where I then 
stood the ground almost commanded, or at any rate 
was on a level with the spot where the elephant came 
out of the forest. His Eoyal Highness and the rest of 
the party, therefore, ran across the hollow to where I 
was standing. The slope on which we now were con¬ 
tinued eastward until it formed a 4 brow,’ and it so 
happened that Currie told his after-rider to mount his 
horse and ride over this brow, to see that the elephant 
did not escape beyond it towards the great forest. On 
