nter such
thick jungle, and I've waited for some hours in the forest, close to
the edge of the chenar, trying every dodge in vain to induce the herd to
quit their stronghold. They were continually on the QUI VIVE. Sometimes
a tremendous rush would be heard in the thick jungle as the herd would
charge towards us; but they invariably stopped just upon the borders,
and would not venture into the open forest. On one occasion I thought
we had them: they rushed to the edge of the thick jungle, and suddenly
filed off to the left and halted in a line within a few feet of the
forest. We were within six paces of them, concealed behind the trunks of
several large trees, from which we could discover the dim forms of six
elephants through the screen of thorns, which had a similar effect to
that produced by looking through a gauze veil. For some moments they
stood in an attitude of intense attention, and I momentarily expected
them to break cover, as we were perfectly still and motionless in our
concealed position. Suddenly they winded us, and whisked round to the
thick jungle, disappearing like magic.

We now tried the effect of bullying, and we sent men to different parts
of the jungle to shout and fire guns; this stirred up the wrath of the
rogue, and he suddenly burst from the thick jungle and rushed into the
open forest right among us. We were both standing behind the trees; and
the gun-bearers, with the exception of Wallace, had thrown the guns down
and had bolted up the trees when they heard the rush of the elephant
through the jungle; thus, upon his arrival in the open forest, he could
see no one, and he stood gazing about him with his ears cocked and tail
on end, not knowing exactly what to do, but ready to charge the first
person that showed himself. He was an immense elephant, being one of the
largest that I have ever seen, and he had as fine an expression of vice
in his appearance as any rogue could wish for. Suddenly he turned his
trunk towards us, but he was puzzled as to the exact position of any
one, as so many men were scattered among the trees. I was within twenty
yards of him, and he turned his head towards the spot, and was just on
the move forward, when I anticipated his intentions by running up to
him and knocking him over by a shot in the forehead, which killed him.
Unfortunately the herd at the same moment broke cover on the opposite
side of the jungle, and escaped without a shot being fired at them. It
was ne