slightest confusion, the hunters at once fell quietly
into their respective places, Taher Sherrif leading,
while I followed closely in the line, with my Tokrooris
bringing up the rear; we were a party of seven
horses.”
Upon turning the comer, we at once perceived the
elephant, that was still drinking. It was a fine hull;
the enormous ears were thrown forward, as the head
was lowered in the act of drawing up ,the water
through the trunk; these shaded the eyes, and, with
the wind favourable, we advanced noiselessly upon
the sand to within twenty yards before we were perceived.
The elephant then threw up its head, and,
with the ears flapping forward, it raised its trunk
for an instant, and then slowly, but easily, ascended
the steep bank, and retreated. The aggageers now
• halted for about a minute to confer together, and
then followed in their original order up the crumbled
bank. We were now on most unfavourable ground;
the fire that had cleared the country we had hitherto
traversed had been stopped by the bed of the torrent.
We were thus plunged at once into withered grass
above our heads, unless we stood in the stirrups; the
ground was strewed with fragments of rock, and altogether
it was ill-adapted for riding. However, Taher
Sherrif broke into a trot, followed by the entire party,
as the elephant was not in sight. We ascended a hill,
and when near the summit, we perceived the elephant
about eighty yards ahead. It was looking behind
during its retreat, by swinging its huge head from
side to side, and upon seeing us approach, it turned
suddenly round and halted. “ Be ready, and tajse
care of the rocks !” said Taher Sherrif, as I rode forward
by his side. Hardly had he uttered these words
of caution, when the bull gave a vicious jerk with
its head, and with a shrill scream it charged down
upon us with the greatest fury. Away we all went,
helter shelter, through the dry grass, which whistled
in my ears, , over the hidden rocks, at full gallop,
with the elephant tearing after us for about a hundred ~
and eighty yards at a tremendous pace. Tetel was a
sure-footed horse, and, being unshod, he never slipped
upon the stones. Thus, as we all scattered in different
directions, the elephant became confused, and relinquished
the chase; it had been very near me at one
time, and in such ground I was not sorry when
it gave up the hunt. We now quickly united, and
again followed the elephant, that had once more re-^
treated Advancing at a banter, we shortly came in
view. Upon seeing the horses, the bull deliberately
entered a stronghold composed of rocky and uneven
ground, in the clefts of which, grew thinly a few
leafless trees, the thickness of a man’s leg. It then
turned boldly towards us, and stood determinedly at
bay.
Now came the tug of war! Taher Sherrif came
close to me and said, “You had better shoot the
■elephant, as we shall have great difficulty in this
rocky ground: ” this I declined, as I wished to end
the fight as it had been commenced, with the sword ;
f f 2