第89章

I was following the herd at this distance when they suddenly halted, and the wounded elephant turned quickly round, and charged with a right good intention.He carried his head thrown back in such a position that Icould not get a fair shot, but, nevertheless, the four-ounce ball stopped him, and away he went again with the herd at full speed, the blood gushing in streams from the wound in his head.

My four-ounce is a splendid rifle for loading quickly, it being so thick in the metal that the deep groove catches the belt of the ball immediately.I was loaded in a few seconds, and again set off in pursuit; I saw the herd at about 200 yards distant; they had halted, and they had again faced about.

I had no sooner approached within sixty paces of them, than the wounded elephant gave a trumpet, and again rushed forward out of the herd.His head was so covered with blood, and was still thrown back in such a peculiar position, that I could not get a shot at the exact mark.Again the four-ounce crashed through his skull, and, staggered with the blow, he once more turned and retreated with the herd.

Loading quickly, I poured the powder down AD LIBITUN, and ran after the herd, who had made a circuit to arrive in the same forest in which we had first found them.A sharp run brought me up to them; but upon seeing me they immediately stopped, and, without a moment's pause, round came my old antagonist again, straight at me, with his head still raised in the same knowing position.The charge of powder was so great that it went off like a young fieldpiece, and the elephant fell upon his knees;but, again recovering himself, he turned and went off at such a pace that he left the herd behind, and in a few minutes I was within twenty yards of them; I would not fire, as I was determined to bag my wounded bird before I fired a single shot at another.

They now reached the forest, but, instead of retreating, the wounded elephant turned short round upon the very edge of the jungle and faced me; the remaining portion of the herd (consisting of two large elephants and two calves) had passed on into the cover.

This was certainly a plucky elephant; his whole face was a mass of blood, and he stood at the very spot where the herd had passed into the forest, as though he was determined to guard the entrance.I was now about twenty-five yards from him, when, gathering himself together for a decisive charge, he once more came on.

I was on the point of pulling the trigger, when he reeled, and fell without a shot, from sheer exhaustion; but recovering himself immediately, he again faced me, but did not move.This was a fatal pause.He forgot the secret of throwing his head back, and he now held it in the natural position, offering a splendid shot at about twenty yards.Once more the four-ounce buried itself in his skull, and he fell dead.

Palliser and Wortley came up just as I was endeavouring to track up the herd, which I had now lost sight of in the forest.Following upon their tracks, we soon came in view of them.Away we went as fast as we could run towards them, but I struck my shin against a fallen tree, which cut me to the bone, and pitched me upon my head.The next moment, however, we were up with the elephants: they were standing upon a slope of rock facing us, but regularly dumbfounded at their unremitting pursuit; they all rolled over to a volley as we came up, two of them being calves.

Palliser killed the two biggest right and left, he being some paces in advance.

This was one of the best hunts that I have ever shared in.The chase had lasted for nearly an hour.There had been thirteen elephants originally in the herd, every one of which had been bagged by fair running.Wortley had fired uncommonly well, as he had killed the three elephants which he and Palliser had chased, one of which had given them a splendid run and had proved restive.The elephant took fifteen shots before she fell, and this accounted for the continual firing which I had heard during my chase of the other section.We had killed fourteen elephants during the day, and we returned to the 'amblam', having had as fine sport as Ceylon can afford.

December 7.--This, being Sunday, was passed in quiet; but a general cleaning of guns took place, to be ready for the morrow.

Dec.8.--We went over many miles of ground without seeing a fresh track.We had evidently disturbed the country on this side of the river, and we returned towards the 'amblam', determined to cross the river after breakfast and try the opposite side.

When within a mile of the 'amblam' we heard deer barking, and, leaving all our gun-bearers and people behind, we carefully stalked to the spot.

The ground was very favourable, and, having the wind, we reached an excellent position among some trees within sixty yards of the herd of deer, who were standing in a little glade.Wortley and I each killed a buck; Palliser wounded a doe, which we tracked for a great distance by the blood, but at length lost altogether.

After breakfast we crossed the large river which flows near the 'amblam', and then entered a part of the 'Park' that we had not yet beaten.

Keeping to our left, we entered a fine forest, and skirted the base of a range of rocky mountains.In this forest we saw deer and wild buffalo, but we would not fire a shot, as we had just discovered the fresh track of a rogue elephant.We were following upon this, when we heard a bear in some thick jungle.We tried to circumvent him, but in vain; Bruin was too quick for us, and we did not get a sight of him.

We were walking quietly along the dry bed of a little brook bordered by thick jungle upon either side, when we were suddenly roused by a tremendous crash through the jungle, which was evidently coming straight upon us.

We were in a most unfavourable position, but there was no time for any farther arrangement than bringing the rifle on full cock, before six elephants, including the 'rogue' whose tracks we were following, burst through the jungle straight at us.