It Was So Dark That I
Could Not Take An Aim, But I Floored Him Once More By A Front Shot, And
Again I Jumped Back Through The Tangled Grass, Just In Time To Avoid
Him, As He, For The Third Time, Recovered Himself And Charged.
He was
not five paces from me; I took a steady shot at him with my last barrel,
and I immediately bolted as hard as I could run.
This shot once more
floored him, but he must have borne a charmed life, as he again
recovered his legs, and to my great satisfaction he turned into the
jungle and retreated. This all happened in a few seconds; had it been
daylight I could of course have killed him, but as it happened I could
not even dis tinguish the sights at the end of my rifle. In a few
minutes afterwards, it became pitch dark, and we could only steer for
the cave by the light of the fire, which was nearly two miles distant.
The next day, we found a herd of eight elephants in very favourable
ground, and succeeded in killing seven; but this was the last herd in
the Park, and after a few days spent in beating up the country without
success, I returned to Newera Ellia, the bag being twenty-two elephants
during a trip of three weeks, in addition to deer, hogs, buffalo, and
small game, which had afforded excellent sport.
CHAPTER X.
Another Trip to the Park-A Hard Day's Work-Discover a Herd-Death of the
Herd-A Furious Charge-Caught at Last-The Consequences-A Thorough
Rogue-Another Herd in High Lemon Grass-Bears-A Fight between a Moorman
and a Bear-A Musical Herd-Herd Escape-A Plucky Buck-Death of `Killbuck'
-Good Sport with a Herd-End of the Trip.
ABOUT twelve months elapsed without my pulling a trigger. I had
contented myself with elk-hunting in Newera Ellia and the vicinity, but
in November, 1850, the greyhounds were again in their palanquin, and, ac
companied by my brother V., I was once more in the saddle on my
steady-going old horse Jack, en route for the Park.
It was 5 P.M. on a cool and lovely evening that we halted, and unsaddled
in this beautiful country. Our tents and coolies were far behind, our
horse-keepers were our only attendants, and we fixed upon a spot as the
most eligible site for the tents. A large open park lay before us,
interspersed with trees, and clumps of forest. A clear stream flowed
from some low rocky hills upon our right, and several detached masses of
rock lay scattered irregularly here and there, like the ruins of an old
castle. Large trees grew from the crevices of these rocks, and beneath
their shade we turned our horses loose to graze upon a soft sweet grass,
with which this part of the Park is covered. We had the greyhounds with
us, and a single rifle, but no other guns, as the servants were far
behind.
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