eep, stiff clay, in which we sank over our ankles at every step,
and varied our struggles by occasionally flying sprawling over the
slippery roots of the trees.

The elephants ran clean away from us, and the elephant-catchers, who
knew nothing of the rules for carrying spare guns, entering into the
excitement of the chase, and free from the impediments of shoes, ran
lightly along the muddy ground, and were soon out of sight as well as
the elephants. Still we struggled on, when, presently we heard a shout
and then a shot; then another shout; then the trumpet of an elephant.
Shot after shot then followed with a chorus of shouts; they were
actually firing all our spare guns!

In a few moments we were up with them. In a beautifully open piece
of forest, upon good hard ground, these fellows were having a regular
battle with the rogue. He was charging them with the greatest fury, but
he no sooner selected one man for his object than these active fellows
diverted his rage by firing into his hind-quarters and yelling at him.
At this he would immediately turn and charge another man, when he would
again be assailed as before. When we arrived he immediately selected B.,
and came straight at him, but offered a beautiful shot in doing so, and
B. dropped him dead.

The firing had disturbed a herd of elephants from the forest, and they
had swum the large river in the neighbourhood, which was at that time
so swollen that we could not cross it. We, therefore, struck off to the
edge of the forest, where the waters of the lake washed the roots of the
trees, and from this point we had a fine view of the greater portion.

All the rogues that we had at first counted had retired to their
several entrances in the forest, except the pair of desperadoes already
mentioned--they knew no fear, and had not heeded the shots fired. They
were tempting baits, and we determined to get them if possible. These
two elephants were standing belly-deep in the water, about a quarter of
a mile from the shore; and the question was, 'How were we to get near
them?' Having observed that the other rogues had retreated to the forest
at the noise of the firing, it struck me that we might by some ruse
induce these two champions to follow their example, and, by meeting them
on their entrance, we might bring them to action.

Not far upon our left, a long shallow bank, covered with reeds,
stretched into the tank. By wading knee-deep along this shoal, a man
might appro