I Was Now Unloaded, As I Had Only Two Of My Double-Barrelled No.
10
rifles out that day, but the chase was so exciting that I could not help
following empty-handed, in the hope that some gun-bearer might put one
of V.'s spare guns in my hand.
A large elephant and her young one, who
was about three feet and a half high, were retreating up the rugged side
of the mountain, and the mother, instead of protecting the little one,
was soon a hundred paces ahead of him, and safely located in a thick
jungle which covered that portion of the mountain. Being empty-handed, I
soon scrambled up and caught the little fellow by the tail; but he was
so strong that I could not hold him, although I exerted all my strength,
and he dragged me slowly towards the jungle to which his mother had
retreated. V. now came up, and he being loaded, I told him to keep a
look-out for the mother's return, while I secured my captive, by seizing
him by the trunk with one hand and by the tail with the other; in this
manner I could just master him by throwing my whole weight down the
hill, and he began to roar like a full-grown elephant. The mother was
for a wonder faithless to her charge, and did not return to the little
one's assistance. While I was engaged in securing him, the gun-bearers
came up, and at this moment I observed, at the foot of the hill, another
elephant, not quite full grown, who was retreating through the high
grass towards the jungle.
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