Their attention was roused,
and they moved off to my left, which change of position
immediately gave them our wind. There was no time to lose, as the
herd was in retreat; and, as they were passing across my path, at
about two hundred paces distance, I ran at my best speed,
stumbling through the broken pie-crust, and sinking in the
yawning crevices, the sides of which were perfectly rotten, until
I arrived within shot of about twenty-five elephants. I was just
on the point of firing at the temple of a large animal that was
within about ten yards, when it suddenly turned, and charged
straight at me. With the right-hand barrel of a Reilly No. 10, I
was fortunate enough to turn it by a forehead shot, when so close
that it was nearly upon me. As it swerved, I fired the remaining
barrel exactly through the centre of the shoulder; this dropped
and killed the elephant as though it had been shot through the
brain.
The difficulties of the ground were such, that the horses were
not led as quickly as I had expected; thus I had to reload, which
I had just completed when Aggahr was brought by Taher Noor.
Springing into the saddle I at once gave chase. The gallant old
horse flew along through the high grass, regardless of the
crevices and rotten ground.
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