but after following upon tbe tracks for several hours
with great difficulty, owing to the intricacy of their
windings upon the dry and hard ground, we met
with a sign fatal to success,—the footprints of two
men. In a short time we met the men them-
ves, two elephant-hunters who had followed the
herd on foot, with the sword as their only weapon :
they had found the elephants,' which had obtained
their wind and had retreated.
■ The Sheik Abou Do was furious at the audacity
of these two Hamrans, who had dared to disturb
our hunting-grounds, and he immediately
ordered them' to return to Geera.
In addition to the tracks of the herd, we had
seen that of' a large'single bull elephant; this we
now carefully followed, and, after many windings,
we felt convinced that he was still within the
broken ground that formed the Settite valley. After
some hours’ most difficult tracking, Taher Noor,
who was leading the way, suddenly sank gently
upon all fours. This movement Was immediately,
but quietly imitated by the whole party, and I
quickly distinguished a large grey mass about sixty
yards distant among the bushes, which, being quite
leafless, screened the form of the bull elephant, as
seen through a veil of treble gauze. I felt quite sure
that we should fail in a close approach with so large
a party. I therefore proposed that I should lead
the way with the Ceylon No. 10, and creep quite
close: to the elephant, while one of the aggageers
should attempt to sabre the back sinew. Jali whispered,
that the sword was useless in the high and
thick grass in whicli he was standing, surrounded
by thorns; accordingly I told 'Florian to follow
me, and I crept forward. With difficulty, upon
hands and knees, I avoided the hooked thorns that
would otherwise have fastened upon my clothes,
and, with the wind favourable, I at length succeeded
in passing through the intervening jungle,
and arrived at a small plot of grass that was sufficiently
high to reach the shoulder of the elephant.
This open space was about fifteen yards in diameter,
and was surrounded upon all sides by thick
jungle. He was a splendid bull, and stood tempt-
ingly for a forehead shot, according to Ceylon
practice, as he was exactly facing me at about ten
yards distance. Having been fortunate with the
front shot at Geera, I determined to try the effect;
I aimed low, and crack went the old Ceylon No.
10 rifle, with seven drachms of powder and a ball
of quicksilver and lead. For an instant the smoke
in the high grass obscured the effect, but almost
immediately after, I heard a tremendous rush, and,
instead of falling, as I had expected, I saw the
elephant crash headlong through the thorny jungle.
No one was behind me, as Florian had misunderstood
the arrangement that he was to endeavour
to obtain a quick shot should I fail. I began to
believe in what I had frequently heard asserted,
that the forehead shot so fatal to the Indian elex