第90章

Banda was nearly run over, but with wonderful agility he ran up some tangled creepers hanging from the trees, just as a spider would climb his web.He was just in time, as the back of one of the elephants grazed his feet as it passed below him.

In the meantime the guns were not idle.Wortley fired at the leading elephant, which had passed under Banda's feet, just as he was crossing the brook on our left.His shot did not produce any effect, but I killed him by a temple-shot as he was passing on.Palliser, who was on our right, killed two, and knocked down a third, who was about half-grown.

This fellow got up again, and Wortley and Palliser, both firing at the same moment, extinguished him.

The herd had got themselves into a mess by rushing down upon our scent in this heedless manner, as four of them lay dead within a few paces of each other.The 'rogue', who knew how to take care of himself, escaped with only one companion.Upon these tracks we now followed without loss of time.

An hour was thus occupied.We tracked them through many glades and jungles, till we at length discovered in a thick chenar the fresh tracks of another herd, which the 'rogue' and his companion had evidently joined, as his immense footprint was very conspicuous among the numerous marks of the troop.Passing cautiously through a thick jungle, we at length emerged upon an extensive tract of high lemon grass.There was a small pool of water close to the edge of the jungle, which was surrounded with the fresh dung of elephants, and the muddy surface was still agitated by the recent visit of some of these thirsty giants.

Carefully ascending some slightly rising ground, and keeping close to the edge of the jungle, we peered over the high grass.

We were in the centre of the herd, who were much scattered.It was very late, being nearly dusk, but we counted six elephants here and there in the high grass within sixty paces of us, while the rustling in the jungle to our left, warned us, that a portion of the herd had not yet quitted this cover.We knew that the 'rogue' was somewhere close at hand, and after his recent defeat he would be doubly on the alert.Our plans therefore required the greatest vigilance.

There was no doubt as to the proper course to pursue, which was to wait patiently until the whole herd should have left the jungle and concentrated in the high grass; but the waning daylight did not permit of such a steady method of proceeding.I then proposed that we should choose our elephants, which were scattered in the high grass, and advance separately to the attack.Palliser voted that we should creep up to the elephants that were in the jungle close to us, instead of going into the high grass.

I did not much like this plan, as I knew that it would be much darker in the jungle than in the patina, and there was no light to spare.However, Palliser crept into the jungle, towards the spot where we heard the elephants crashing the bushes.

Instead of following behind him, I kept almost in a line, but a few feet on one side, otherwise I knew that should he fire, I should see nothing for the smoke of his shot.This precaution was not thrown away.The elephants were about fifty yards from the entrance to the jungle, and we were of course up to them in a few minutes.Palliser took a steady shot at a fine elephant about eight yards from him, and fired.

The only effect produced was a furious charge right into us!

Away went all the gun-bearers except Wallace as hard as they could run, completely panic-stricken.Palliser and Wortley jumped to one side to get clear of the smoke, which hung like a cloud before them; and having taken my position with the expectation of something of this kind, I had a fine clear forehead shot as the elephant came rushing on; and Idropped him dead.

The gun-bearers were in such a fright that they never stopped till they got out on the patina.

The herd had of course gone off at the alarm of the firing, and we got a glimpse of the old 'rogue' as he was taking to the jungle.Palliser fired an ineffectual shot at him at a long range, and the day closed.It was moonlight when we reached the 'amblam': the bag for that day being five elephants, and two bucks.

Dec.9.--We had alarmed this part of the country; and after spending a whole morning in wandering over a large extent of ground without seeing a fresh track of an elephant, we determined to move on to Nielgalla, eight miles from the 'amblam.' We accordingly packed up, and started off our coolies by the direct path, while we made a long circuit by another route, in the hope of meeting with heavy game.