In a beautifully open piece of
forest, upon good hard ground, these fellows were having a regular
battle with the rogue. He was charging them with the greatest fury, but
he no sooner selected one man for his object than these active fellows
diverted his rage by firing into his hind-quarters and yelling at him.
At this he would immediately turn and charge another man, when he would
again be assailed as before. When we arrived he immediately selected B.,
and came straight at him, but offered a beautiful shot in doing so, and
B. dropped him dead.
The firing had disturbed a herd of elephants from the forest, and they
had swum the large river in the neighbourhood, which was at that time so
swollen that we could not cross it. We, therefore, struck off to the
edge of the forest, where the waters of the lake washed the roots of the
trees, and from this point we had a fine view of the greater portion.
All the rogues that we had at first counted had retired to their several
entrances in the forest, except the pair of desperadoes already
mentioned--they knew no fear, and had not heeded the shots fired.
