kfast, when one of our hunters said that he perceived
recent signs of an elephant in the neighbourhood, and told us to be
careful, as he had little doubt from their being only one that it was a
rogue, and probably a fierce and cunning one. This information, of
course, put us on the alert. We looked to our rifles, and directed our
horse-keepers to walk at our horses' heads, that we might dismount in a
moment and he ready for action, while we kept our eyes about us in every
direction. The hunter made a sign, pointing towards a thick jungle. We
dismounted, leaving our horses with their keepers. We had been passing
through a somewhat open country, with trees scattered about here and
there. We advanced cautiously. I saw the jungle in the distance move.
Solon barked as a signal that danger was near. Presently there was a
loud trumpeting and roar, I may call it, not of fear, but of rage,
though it was sufficient to inspire fear. There was a crashing of
boughs and underwood, and a huge elephant, with trunk uplifted, broke
through the jungle and rushed furiously at us.

"Now, my lad, I hear that you have already hit more than one elephant,
let me see what you can do," exclaimed my grandfather, the spirit of the
old sportsman rising within him.

He had with him a Moor, a first-rate hunter and shot, armed with a
rifle. There was not much chance, therefore, of our missing the
elephant between us. We all advanced towards him as soon as he
appeared. As he kept his trunk up in the air, the difficulty of
shooting him on the forehead was much increased. Our bold air somewhat
disconcerted him. He stopped, apparently to single out one as his
victim. At that same moment he lowered his trunk.

"Now, Ralph," cried my grandfather; "fire!"

I did so, aiming at the monster's forehead, though I was upwards of
thirty yards off. Up went his trunk. He rushed on, fury in his eye,
and the excess of rage indicated by his trumpeting. It seemed scarcely
possible that some one of us should not suffer. Yet I felt wonderfully
cool. I waited a second; and then taking full aim, fired my second
barrel. In an instant the huge monster stopped, and before the smoke
cleared away lay an inanimate mass on the ground, within twenty yards of
us.

My grandfather, when he saw what had occurred, seized me in his arms and
gave me a hug which well-nigh squeezed the breath out of my body.

"Well done! capitally done, my boy!" he exclaimed. "I th