he movement even of an elephant. By this time I had realized
the folly of the shot, and devoutly hoped that the bull would take
no further notice of it. But he took a different view of the matter.
Pulling himself up in a series of plunges, he spun round and came for
me with outstretched ears and uplifted trunk, screaming terribly. I was
quite defenceless, for my gun was empty, and my first thought was of
escape. I dug my heels into the sides of my horse, but he would not move
an inch. The poor animal was paralyzed with terror, and he simply stood
still, his fore-legs outstretched, and quivering all over like a leaf.

On rushed the elephant, awful to see; I made one more vain effort to
stir the horse. Now the trunk of the great bull swung aloft above my
head. A thought flashed through my brain. Quick as light I rolled from
the saddle. By the side of the horse lay a fallen tree, as thick through
as a man's body. The tree was lifted a little off the ground by the
broken boughs which took its weight, and with a single movement, so
active is one in such necessities, I flung myself beneath it. As I did
so, I heard the trunk of the elephant descend with a mighty thud on the
back of my poor horse, and the next instant I was almost in darkness,
for the horse, whose back was broken, fell over across the tree under
which I lay ensconced. But he did not stop there long. In ten seconds
more the bull had wound his trunk about my dead nag's neck, and, with a
mighty effort, hurled him clear of the tree. I wriggled backwards as far
as I could towards the roots of the tree, for I knew what he was after.
Presently I saw the red tip of the bull's trunk stretching itself
towards me. If he could manage to hook it round any part of me I was
lost. But in the position I occupied, that was just what he could not
do, although he knelt down to facilitate his operations. On came the
snapping tip like a great open-mouthed snake; it closed upon my hat,
which vanished. Again it was thrust down, and a scream of rage was
bellowed through it within four inches of my head. Now it seemed to
elongate itself. Oh, heavens! now it had me by the hair, which, luckily
for myself, was not very long. Then it was my turn to scream, for next
instant half a square inch of hair was dragged from my scalp by the
roots. I was being plucked alive, as I have seen cruel Kaffir kitchen
boys pluck a fowl.

The elephant, however, disappointed with these moderate results, change