I Waited A Few Moments For The Lagging Men, And Succeeded In
Getting Them Well Together Just Is I Heard The Rush Of Water, As
The Elephants Were Again Entering The Jungle, Not Far In Advance
Of The Spot Upon Which I Stood.
This time they were sharp on the qui vive, and the bulls, being
well to the front, were keeping a bright look-out.
It was in
vain that I endeavored to conceal myself until the herd had got
well into the forest; the gun-bearers behind me did not take the
same precaution, and the leading elephants both saw and winded us
when at a hundred paces distant. This time, however, they were
determined to push on for a piece of thicker jungle, which they
knew lay in this direction, and upon seeing me running toward
them, they did not turn back to the lake, but slightly altered
their course in an oblique direction, still continuing to push on
through the forest, while I was approaching at right angles with
the herd.
Hallooing and screaming at them with all my might to tease some
of the old bulls into a charge, I ran at top speed through the
fine open forest, and soon got among a whole crowd of half-grown
elephants, at which I would not fire; there were a lot of fine
beasts pushing along in the front, and toward these I ran as hard
as I could go. Unfortunately, the herd seeing me so near and
gaining upon them, took to the ruse of a beaten fleet and
scattered in all directions; but I kept a few big fellows in
view, who were still pretty well together, and managed to
overtake the rearmost and knock him over. Up went the tail and
trunk of one of the leading bulls at the report of the shot, and
trumpeting shrilly, he ran first to one side, then to the other,
with his ears cocked and sharply turning his head to either side.
I knew this fellow had his monkey up, and that a little teasing
would bring him round for a charge. I therefore redoubled my
shouts and yells and kept on in full chase, as the elephants were
straining every nerve to reached a piece of thick jungle within a
couple of hundred paces.
I could not go any faster, and I saw that the herd, which was
thirty or forty yards ahead of me, would gain the jungle before I
could overtake them, as they were going at a slapping pace and I
was tolerably blown with a long run at full speed, part of which
had been through deep mud and water. But I still teased the
bull, who was now in such an excited state that I felt convinced
he would turn to charge.
The leading elephants rushed into the thick jungle, closely
followed by the others, and, to my astonishment, my excited
friend, who had lagged to the rear, followed their example. But
it was only for a few seconds, for, on entering the thick bushes,
he wheeled sharp round and came rushing out in full charge. This
was very plucky, but very foolish, as his retreat was secured
when in the thick jungle, and yet he courted further battle.
This he soon had enough of, as I bagged him in his onset with my
remaining barrel by the forehead shot.
I now heard a tremendous roaring, of elephants behind me, as
though another section was coming in from the tank; this I hoped
to meet. I therefore reloaded the empty rifles as quickly as
possible and ran toward the spot. The roaring still continued
and was apparently almost stationary; and what was my
disappointment, on arrival, to find, in place of the expected
herd, a young elephant of about four feet high, who, had missed
the main body in the retreat and was now roaring for his departed
friends! These young things are excessively foolhardy and
willful, and he charged me the moment I arrived. As I laid the
rifle upon the ground instead of firing at him, the rascally
gunbearers, with the exception of Carrasi, threw down the rifles
and ran up the trees like so many monkeys, just as I had jumped
on one side and caught the young elephant by the tail. He was
far too strong for me to hold, and, although I dug my heels into
the ground and held on with all my might, he fairly ran away with
me through the forest. Carrasi now came to my assistance and
likewise held on by his tail; but away we went like the tender to
a steam-engine; wherever the elephant went there we were dragged
in company. Another man now came to the rescue; but his
assistance was not of the slightest rise, as the animal was so
powerful and of such weight that he could have run away with half
a dozen of us unless his legs were tied. Unfortunately we had no
rope, or I could have secured him immediately, and seeing that we
had no power over him whatever, I was obliged to run back for one
of the guns to shoot him. On my return it was laughable to see
the pace at which he was running away with the two men, who were
holding on to his tail like grim death, the elephant not having
ceased roaring during the run. I accordingly settled him, and
returned to have a little conversation with the rascals were
still perched in the trees. I was extremely annoyed, as these
people, if they had possessed a grain of sense, might have tied
their long comboys (cotton cloths about eight feet long)
together, and we might have thus secured the elephant without
difficulty by tying his hind legs. It was a great loss, as he
was so tame that he might have been domesticated and driven to
Newera Ellia without the slightest trouble. All this was
occasioned by the cowardice of these villainous Cingalese, and
upon my lecturing one fellow on his conduct he began to laugh.
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