aid of speaking and asking Chickango what he
advised, lest the elephant might hear us. Even now I could not but
suppose that we were perceived. Presently Chickango sprang to his feet
and took aim at the creature's head. I expected to see it roll over,
but some white splinters which flew from an intervening branch told me
that the bullet had been turned aside, though I fancied even then it
must have struck the animal. Instantly its trunk was lifted up, and,
with a tremendous trumpeting which made the forest ring, and a loud
tramping of his heavy feet, he dashed towards us. I felt that our lives
depended upon the accuracy of my aim. It was my first shot at an
elephant, and let any one fancy how the mighty animal must appear in a
rage, and it may be supposed that my aim was not likely to be very
steady. I fired when he was about a dozen paces off. A practised
sportsman might have waited longer. If my bullet took effect it did not
stop his charge, for on he came directly at us. Chickango sprang on one
side. I attempted to follow his example by springing on the other. As
I did so my gun caught in a creeper, which suddenly whisked it from my
hand. I dared not stop to recover it. The creature's huge tusks were
aimed at me, I thought, and I expected the next instant to be pierced
through or crushed to death, or to find myself tossed high in air by his
trunk; but, blind with rage, and somewhat puzzled by two enemies, he ran
his trunk against the stump of the tree with such force as to pierce the
rotten wood through and through. Over it came with a crash; but so
firmly fixed, that for a moment he could not shake it off, while the
dust from the rotten wood fell into his eyes. His companion, meantime,
was trumpeting away furiously, and advancing towards us, but Chickango
and I were concealed from him by the thick wood. Other trumpetings were
heard at the same time, which showed us that he had other companions
besides the one we had seen. I had not forgotten the way I had escaped
the previous day, and glancing round, I saw a thick-stemmed tree
directly behind me. I darted round it; while Chickango concealed
himself behind another. Our assailant, meantime, disconcerted by the
piece of the tree still clinging to his tusks, went crashing on through
the underwood till he had got to a considerable distance from us. His
nearest companion, fortunately a female, followed him. "Load, massa,
load!" cried Chickango to me.