ELEPHANTS AT LAST. 
phants, when we first heard them, could not have been 
more than sixty yards off, and our feeble limbs had not 
carried us much farther than a third of that distance 
before a grand cow, with one uncommonly long tusk, 
pushed her way through the covert and offered a fair 
broadside-shot at her head. Aiming for the centre of the 
eaiy I pressed the trigger, and have a dim recollec¬ 
tion of something like a loud tliunder-clap in my ear, 
and of being sent flying head over heels anywhere. 
Both barrels of the rifle, loaded with twenty drachms 
of powder, had exploded at the same time, an active 
remedy for a sportsman fever-stricken and suffering 
from a splitting headache. However, my first elephant 
was more completely bowled over than myself, for she 
had gone down never to rise again. 
At the report of my rifle a magnificent bull with 
splendid tusks showed his head, and H-, with a shot 
from his 5 77° rifle, stunned him for a second and brought 
him to the ground ; but no sooner had he recovered him¬ 
self than he came straight for us with ears cocked and 
trunk erect, and evidently in high dudgeon. Our gun- 
bearers wisely fled, followed by II-,who was, of course, 
helpless with only one barrel of his, comparatively in¬ 
sufficient, Aveapon loaded. Luckily I had first managed 
to pick myself up and to reload, and Avhen the beast 
was within twenty yards I put a bullet in the centre of 
his chest, which immediately checked his charge and 
made him turn back into the bush. Had I been quick 
enough I think I might have got in a broadside shot 
as he SAVung round, but I missed the opportunity, and 
