Having Given The
Moormen A Supply Of Powder, I Again Despatched Them To Drive The Jungle.
Once More The Firing And Shouting Commenced, And Continued Until Their
Supply Of Powder Was Exhausted:
No effects had been produced; it was
getting late, and the rogue appeared determined not to move.
A dead
silence ensued, which was presently disturbed by the snapping of a
bough; in another moment the jungle crashed, and forth stepped the
object of our pursuit! He was a magnificent elephant, one of the most
vicious in appearance that I have ever seen; he understood the whole
affair as well as we did; and flourishing his trunk, he paced quickly
backwards and forwards for a few turns before the jungle he had just
quitted; suddenly making his resolution, he charged straight at the bush
behind which we had imagined ourselves concealed. He was about eighty
yards off when he commenced his onset; and seeing that we were
discovered, I left the hiding-place, and stepped to the front of the
bush to meet him with the four-ounce rifle. On he came at a great pace,
carrying his head very high, and making me the sole object of his
attack. I made certain of the shot, although his head was in a difficult
position, and I accordingly waited for him till he was within fifteen
paces. At this distance I took a steady shot and fired. A cloud of
smoke, from the heavy charge of powder, obscured everything, but I felt
so certain that he was down, that I looked under the smoke to see where
he lay. Ye gods! He was just over me in full charge! I had not even
checked him by the shot, and he was within three feet of me, going at a
tremendous pace. Throwing my heavy rifle into the bush, I doubled
quickly to one side, hoping that he would pass me and take to the main
jungle, to which I ran parallel as fast as my legs could carry me.
Instead of taking to the jungle, he turned short and quickly after me,
and a fair race commenced. I had about three feet start of him, and I
saw with delight that the ground was as level and smooth as a lawn;
there was no fear of tripping up, and away I went at the fastest pace
that I ever ran either before or since, taking a look behind me to see
how the chase went on. I saw the bullet-mark in his forehead, which was
covered with blood; his trunk was stretched to its full length to catch
me, and was now within two feet of my back; he was gaining on me,
although I was running at a tremendous pace. I could not screw an inch
more speed out of my legs, and I kept on, with the brute gaining on me
at every stride. He was within a foot of me, and I had not heard a shot
fired, and not a soul had come to the rescue.
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