Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-03

crotch. And there / am sure | should have
stalled had not Mata1a come to the lower limb
and reached me down his great black hand.
That, however, served me well, and getting a
firm grip of it l managed to wrigge my toes
loose, when, with joint tug, was swung up to
good grip of the limb, and, with Matala still
tugging, contrived to get on it.
There expected to see the elephant; but
they were still invisible. So up another story
scram bled that stretch easily perhaps ten feet,
but with the result
Meantime Mataia had slipped up to his first
perch still another twenty feet, the last twelve
feet up smooth, slender, perpendicular trunk
/ probably should never have negotiated with
out the aid of Mataia: but with his powerful
grip in mine after couple OF swings entirely
free from the tree Jordan later assured me,
hitched me up to where was able to get grip
with my left hand and help myself up to the
place he had been occupying.
There at last, forty feet above the ground
and balancing myself, with my feet on two
widespread limbs none too strong for my
weight, l found myself slightly higher than the
elephant, sufficiently to have a clear view of
the upper fourth of their great brown sides and
glimpse of their cleaning ivory:
Meantime, my gunbearer, Awala, and all the
natives had swarmed up into the tree, Jor-
dan coming last and stopping on the lower
limb.
My second gun, nine MN. Mauser, was
passed up to Mataia, within arms length be-
should have preferred to use but that its sight
was so fine could not see 1t well when com
PEELED to shoot into the sun or within the shad-
ows of overhanging foliage.
lust then the elephant moved directly toward
u.s. very slowly the big one in the lead. stopping
thirty wards away and offering perfect brain
shot. Keen to get the pair, | Kissed down to
Jordan, Up, quick, and help make sure of
both,''
blight it, can't! Never could stand it up
II ;c, I
he Kissed back.
We'll, WE'LL" l persisted, Cant YOU see
| them now? Can't you shoot from where you
are?''
lust BANKED well can't, old chap!" Jordan
whispered. Sorry; but this cannon of .45O
would kick me clean over into the Sambi. Nv
world but it's hard enough sticking here
now!"
Shots from a Lofty Perch
| A Nd then. lust as l was advancing my gun
= for bead on No. Is head off they started
again, and in two or three steps were beyond
the range of view through the narrow opening
in the tree foliage before me- completely hidden
from me, and before | could make shift to an
other opening and get them again in range
No. l wa, about eighty to a hundred yards Off
angling away from us, but moving at slow
walk.
Upon receiving my hard nose .405 behind his
left shoulder, a useful shot ranging forward
No. l trumpeted pain and rage stopped an in
slant, swaved, and then broke into whatever
the elephant pace is faster than walk, offering
me fair broadsde.
Frequently before my .4O5 had jammed in
the agazine-second or third cartridge would
not come up level with the chamber dan
gerous freak failed to fathom or correct-and
should have discarded it long before but for
its superior accuracy over any other gun and
its hard hitting. For a fortnight it had been
working like an angel and dropping in its track
nearly everything | pulled on, and therefore
had elected to trust it that morning.
But, by every i'll token, tight and fast it
jamrned at the first shot compelling me to pass
it down to Mataia and get the lighter Mauser
losing me invaluable time. However, | was
lucky enough to get another shot into No. l
and one into No. before they got out of range
up wind.
Meantime Jordan had dropped off his limb
| and was tumbling through the grass, trying for
| an elevation where he could get shot. Then,
just l scrambling down, one of the
Lumbwa pointed me two of the elephant on our
left evidently circling west for the wind of
| whatever had pinked them, three hundred
| yards from my tree, but only about hundred
and fifty from Jordan. There we each got two
| more shots, turning them back east again, out
| of our sight.
Rapidly as l could | swung and slid to the
ground-only to find that Mosoni, the Lumbwa
el,uoran who took my boots when pulled them