ADVENTURES OF JACOBS 
339 
When within range, about thirty yards from the elephant, he in¬ 
sisted that they should both fire together, as he did not wish to 
be left with an empty gun in his hands even for a moment, while 
the guide had his loaded; but when he pulled and mortally 
wounded the elephant, who crashed off into the bushes with a 
great scream, the guide withheld his fire, and jumping back with 
a shout, levelled his flint-lock at Jacobs, who, thanks to the inter¬ 
vening moment that it takes the flash in the pan of a flint-lock 
to ignite the charge, and a slight hesitation on the part of the 
native, managed to jump out of the line of fire with his body, 
but received the 8-bore round bullet through the palm of his 
left hand, while still holding the gun; the shot also carried 
away the top part of his thumb. The native ran for his life 
before Jacobs could reload and fire at him. The Dutchman left 
the elephant to its fate, and immediately made for the canoe, 
which he fortunately found hidden in the reeds where he had 
left it. Too maimed to risk ferrying himself over through the 
intricate channels in the reeds of the Chobe, he waited discon¬ 
solately, not knowing what to do, until two old women came hunt¬ 
ing for roots along the bank of the river; these he pressed into 
service at the point of his gun, to row him over to where he had 
left his own boys in camp on the south side of the river. He 
got over safely, but was now made aware by some other natives 
that he had been shooting on forbidden ground, which his guide, 
in case of inquiry, would have made the excuse for murdering 
him and taking his gun. They were a wild lot on the Chobe. 
Much disheartened and severely injured, he with his party 
returned home by the Selinda river in canoes, the journey 
taking him twenty-five days. Fearing mortification would 
attack his wound, he, by the advice of some Makubas living in 
the reeds, who knew of a healing root, applied a poultice of this 
plant to his hurt, removing it whenever the pain warned him 
that it was time to put another poultice on. This had kept his 
hand clean and well; but he was in sore distress, for he knew 
that the splintered bones should be taken away, and not know¬ 
ing how this should be done, or who could perform the opera- 
