ecoming a little nervous."

"As his only chance, Lieutenant Moodie turned round, and leveled his gun
at the largest elephant; but unfortunately the powder was damp, and the
gun hung fire, till he was in the act of taking it from his shoulder,
when it went off, and the ball merely grazed the side of the elephant's
head. The animal halted for an instant, and then made a furious charge
upon him. He fell; whether struck down by the elephant's trunk he can
not say. The elephant then thrust at him as he lay, with his tusk;
fortunately it had but one, and more fortunately it missed its mark,
plowing up the ground within an inch of Mr. Moodie's body.

"The animal then caught him up with its trunk by his middle, and dashed
him down between his fore-feet to tread him to death. Once it pressed so
heavily on his chest, that all his bones bent under the weight, but
somehow or other, whether from the animal being in a state of alarm, it
never contrived to have its whole weight upon him; for Mr. Moodie had
never lost his recollection, and kept twisting his body and his limbs,
so as to prevent it from obtaining a direct tread upon him. While he
was in this state of distress, another officer and a Hottentot hunter
came up to his assistance, and fired several shots at the animal, which
was severely wounded, and the other three took to their heels. At last
the one which had possession of Mr. Moodie turned round, and giving him a
cuff with its fore-feet followed the rest. Mr. Moodie got up, picked up
his gun, and staggered away as fast as his aching bones would permit
him. He met his brother, who had just been informed by one of the
Hottentots, who had seen him under the elephant, that he was killed."

"Well, that was an escape," observed Wilmot.

"What made it more remarkable was, that he had hardly time to explain to
his brother his miraculous preservation, before he witnessed the death
of one of the hunters, a soldier, who had attracted the notice of a
large male elephant which had been driven out of the jungle. The fierce
animal gave chase to him, and caught him immediately under the height
where Mr. Moodie and his brother were standing, carried the poor fellow
for some distance on his trunk, then threw him down, and stamping upon
him until he was quite dead, left the body for a short time. The
elephant then returned, as if to make sure of its destruction; for it
kneeled down on the body, and kneaded it with his fore-legs; then,
ris