Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-08

away with lion because her shot into the tail
had been the first wound; but I wanted to feel
that mine would have been fatal shot, even
II not reinforced by the others.
There was no time to make out the ivory.
The great head was turning from side to side
and the elephant was coming on, slowly and
deliberately. trunk UP, the ears out Hike giant
sails. I made no estimate of the distance-we
found later we had sighted him at rs feet
but could see there was no time to waste.
took aim, frontal aim, waited an instant
because was not sure of that shot was too
inexperienced for it-but there wasn't more
than second for waiting, for the elephant
was coming right along and there flashed
through me Capt Ealmon's word that the
thing to fear was not the blind charge, but the
beast that came on slowly and calculatingly.
THAT Is the elephant that win get youi" the
captain had said most hearteningIy to u.s.
I FIRED as the beast turned his head, side
shot toward the brain, and the big guns
sounded q second after. We could not take any
chances on that elephant It had all happened
in very few instants, the sight Of the big
head, the head coming on, the shots. It hap
pened quickly that Scott, the last In line.
said he had hardly seen the elephant when we
fired. Ten steps more and 1t would have been
on u.s.
There was crash and conflicting cries Of
"he's down." mo. he's gene" The head had
plunged out of sight There was sort Of
gurgling roar and thrashing sound from the
bushes at the jungle's edge and we fired into
them to make sure, but the elephant was down
and dying. There was gurgle, then stiffness
We started to creep in, the adventurous
Seylim, Harry Bigelow's gun boy, plunging
rasfly ahead. A few steps and there was the
curving bulk through the grass but we could
see nothing definite until we we're actually
upon it. The elephant was upon his or her
knees, apparently very dead, but Herbert and
I fired last shot each for precaution. re-
membered that so veteran q hunter as Selous
had cut the tail from an elephant that he
certainly considered dead, and after that the
elephant got up and went away. We parted
the grass and stood before the great beast. A
great beast, truly but I still could see
tusks, and the back Of my mind began to frame
letters in French to M. Van de Ghinste. the
commissioner at Ruchuru. to explain why had
slain this large COW.
Then we went to the head and there buried
In brush and earth the long tuSls extended. It
was really beautiful ivory. Luck had been with
me after all, and it was luck. for 1t might just as
well have been a big cow would have had to
fire just the same The gun boys crowded round
shaking hands jubilantly with me and with the
three men who had given me the chance. /
could hardly believe, even then, that the sue
cess real. I swore on then peSsimism
and gloom and foreboding-in hunting the
and so often that the chances are just bound to
turn, and you will be there when they do.
Arthur who had announced at the beginning
of the trip that he never expected to see an
elephant and that no wild animal had ever
done anything to him and he was going to see
that no wild animal ever did, was OF before
light next morning, and six hours later Harry
was back at Malunga's with q flle of luckleSS
porters TO help the. rest of US move. Twenty of
their men had decamped during the night, SO
but had to leave Harry in the village with the
remaining loads.
Miss williams aud Alice and set Of with
a men. We passed the long line Of huts for
the last time and then wound down and out
across the wide reaches Of grass land like
meadows Of waving grain. Alice was kept close
behind me. and ] carried my gun myseh, IN
ready for fear Of q buffalo surprise, for IL was
just the time Of afternoon when we could eK-
pect them TO be coming out 30 erase. As