chase of him, and rapidly gaining on him; he therefore
resolved to reserve his fire till the last moment, and, turning towards
some precipitous rocks, hoped to gain them before the elephants could
come up with him. But he was still at least fifty paces from the rocks,
when he found that the elephants were within half that distance of
him,--one very large animal, and three smaller,--all in a row, as if
determined that he should not escape, snorting so tremendously that he
was quite stunned with the noise."

"That's what I call a very pretty position," observed the Major. "Go
on, Swinton; the affair is becoming a little nervous."

"As his only chance, Lieutenant Moodie turned round, and levelled his
gun at the largest elephant; but unfortunately the powder was damp, and
the gun hung fire, till he was in the act of taking it from his
shoulder, when it went off, and the ball merely grazed the side of the
elephant's head. The animal halted for an instant, and then made a
furious charge upon him. He fell; whether struck down by the elephant's
trunk he cannot say. The elephant then thrust at him as he lay, with
his tusk; fortunately it had but one, and more fortunately it missed its
mark, ploughing up the ground within an inch of Mr Moodie's body.

"The animal then caught him up with its trunk by his middle, and dashed
him down between his fore-feet to tread him to death. Once it pressed
so heavily on his chest, that all his bones bent under the weight, but
somehow or other, whether from the animal being in a state of alarm, it
never contrived to have its whole weight upon him; for Mr Moodie had
never lost his recollection, and kept twisting his body and his limbs,
so as to prevent it from obtaining a direct tread upon him. Whilst he
was in this state of distress, another officer and a Hottentot hunter
came up to his assistance, and fired several shots at the animal, which
was severely wounded, and the other three took to their heels. At last
the one which had possession of Mr Moodie turned round, and giving him
a cuff with its fore-feet followed the rest. Mr Moodie got up, picked
up his gun, and staggered away as fast as his aching bones would permit
him. He met his brother, who had just been informed by one of the
Hottentots, who had seen him under the elephant, that he was killed."

"Well, that was an escape," observed Wilmot.

"What made it more remarkable was, that he had hardly time to explain to
his broth