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.
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