Upon reaching the top of some rising ground I noticed several elephants,
at about a quarter of a mile distant upon my left in high grass, while
the remaining portion of the herd (three elephants) were about two
hundred yards ahead, and were stepping out at full speed straight before
us.
Wortley had now had plenty of practice, and shot his elephants well. He
and Palliser followed the three elephants, while I parted company and
ran towards the other section of the herd, who were standing on some
rising ground, and were making a great roaring.
On arriving within a hundred yards of them, I found I had caught a
'Tartar'. It is a very different thing creeping up to an unsuspecting
herd and attacking them by surprise, to marching up upon sheer open
ground to a hunted one with wounded elephants among them, who have
regularly stood at bay. This was now the case. The ground was perfectly
open, and the lemon grass was above my head: thus I could only see the
exact position of the elephants every now and then, by standing upon the
numerous little rocks that were scattered here and there. The elephants
were standing upon some rising ground, from which they watched every
movement as I approached. They continued to growl without a moment's
intermission, being enraged not only from the noise of the firing, but
on account of two calves which they had with them, and which I could not
see in the high grass. There was a gentle rise in the ground within
thirty paces of the spot upon which they stood; and to this place I
directed my steps with great care, hiding in the high grass as I crept
towards them.
During the whole of this time, guns were firing without intermission in
the direction taken by Palliser and Wortley, thus keeping my game
terribly on the qui vive. What they were firing so many shots at, I
could not conceive.
At length I reached the rising ground. The moment that I was discovered
by them, the two largest elephants came towards me, with their ears
cocked and their trunks raised.
I waited for a second or two till they lowered their trunks, which they
presently did; and taking a steady shot with one of my doubled-barrelled
No. 10 rifles, I floored them both by a right and left. One, however,
immediately recovered, and, with the blood streaming from his forehead,
he turned and retreated with the remainder of the herd at great speed
through the high grass.
The chase required great caution. However, they fortunately took to a
part of the country where the grass was not higher than my shoulders,
and I could thus see well over it.
