The Irish standard., 1890-02-08

though he knelt down to facilitate his
operations. On came the swapping tip
like great open-mouthed snake; it
closed upon my hat, which vanished.
Again it was thrust down, and scream
of rage was beloved 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
NV turn to scream, for next instant
half a square inch of hair was dragged
from my scalp by the roots. I was be-
ing plucked alive, as I have seen cruel
Kafir kitchen boys pluck fowl. The
elephant, however, disappointed with
the moderate results, changed his tao
tics He wound his trunk around the
fallen tree and lifted it. 1t stirred, but
fortunately the broken branches
embedded in the spongy soil, and
some roots which still held, prevented
it from being turned over, though he
lifted it SO much that had it occurred to
him he could easily have fshed me out
with his trunk. Again he hoisted with
all his mighty strength, and [ saw that
help Some shots were fred close by in
answer, but if they hit the bull their
only effect was to stir his energies to
| more active life. In another few Sec
onds my shelter would be torn away
and should be done for. A cold per-
SEPARATION burst over me as l realized
that I was lost. Then of a sudden re-
| membered that had pistol in my belt
! which + often used for dispatching
wounded game. It was loaded and
capped. By this time the tree was lifted
80 much that could easily get my hand
down to my middle and draw the pistol
! from its case. l drew and cooked it.
See, the tree was coming, and there,
| within three feet of my head, was the
great brown trunk of the elephant. I
placed the muzzle of the pistol wishin
an inch of it and fired. The result was
| instantaneous. Down sunk the tree
| again, giving one of my legs a consider
able squeeze, and next instant heard a
| crashing sound. The elephant had
| bolted. ....
By this time, between fright and
| struggling, I was pretty we'll done. l
can not remember how got from under
! the fallen tree. or indeed any thing, I'M
til found myself sitting on the ground
| drinking some peach brandy from
flask, and old Inaaba-zimbi opposite
to me nodding his white locks
sagely, while he fired off moral refec-
tions on the narrowness of my escape,
and my unwisdom in not having taken
his advice to go on foot. That reminded
me of my horse-I got up and went to
look at it. It was quite dead, the blow
of the elephants trunk had fallen on the
saddle, breaking the framework and
rendering it useless. I reflected that in
another two seconds 1T would have fall
en- on me. I called to Indaba-zimbi and
asked which way the elephants had
gone.
sThere!' he said, pointing down the
gully, ssand we had better go after them,
Macumazahn. We have had the bad
luck, now for the good"
There was philosophy in this, though,
to tell the truth, did not feel particu-
larly keen on elephants at the moment.
/ seemed to have had enough of them.
However, it would never do to show the
white feather before the boys, so as
sented with much outward readiness,
and we started, I on the second horse,
! and the others on foot. When we had
; travelled for She best part OF an hour
down the valley all of a sudden we
came upon the whole herd, which NUM-
bered little more than eighty. just
in front Of them the bush was SO thick
that they seemed to hesitate about en-
tering it, and the sides Of the valley
were SO rocky and steep at this point
that they could not climb them.
They saw us at the same moment as
we saw them, and inWardly was filled
with fears lest they should take it into
their heads to charge back up the gully.
But they did not; Humpeting aloud,
they rushed at the thick bush which.
ran4 7nw1 hafnra them i1re corn before