e, keeping, however, more to the right, which would bring him
towards the tree on which I was perched. The elephant began to move
towards him. He quickened his pace--he was now in the open ground, over
which he was making his way, exposed to great danger. He was aware of
this and kept his gun ready to fire, though should he miss, he would be
at the mercy of the brute. I considered how I could help him, but saw
it would be madness to descend the tree to fire, and therefore remained
where I was, praying that, should my uncle fire, his shot might be
successful.

Presently, up went the elephant's trunk; and, trumpeting loudly, he went
at a fast trot directly towards my uncle, who, stopping for a moment,
levelled his rifle and fired; but, although the shot took effect, it did
not stop the elephant's progress.

He had not a moment to reload--flight was his only resource. Happily
not far off was a tree, but whether its branches grew low down enough to
enable him to climb up it, I could not see, and I trembled for his
safety. I shouted and shrieked, hoping to divert the attention of the
elephant. It appeared to me that its trunk was not a dozen yards from
my uncle. Should it once encircle him, his fate would be sealed. I
never felt more anxious in my life. I might still stop its course I
hoped, and, raising my rifle, I fired at its head, but my bullet seemed
to make not the slightest impression. I shrieked with alarm. The next
moment I saw my uncle seize the bough of a tree which had appeared to me
above his head, when, exerting all his strength, he drew himself up.
The elephant, elevating its trunk, actually touched his foot, but he
drew it beyond its reach, and quickly clambered up into a place of
safety. The elephant stood for a moment, its trunk raised as if
expecting him to fall, and then made a furious dash at the tree in a
vain endeavour to batter it down. The tree trembled from the shock but
stood firm.

The elephant then, taking my uncle's cap which had fallen off, trampled
it under foot, going round and round the tree and trumpeting loudly. It
was evidently a rogue elephant, an ill-tempered brute who had been
driven from the herd to spend a solitary existence. Such are always the
most dangerous, as they appear to have a greater hatred of man and to be
more cunning than the elephants found in herds. It seemed to have made
up its mind to besiege us. Our position was unpleasant in the extreme,
for wh