think sixty seconds elapsed between my first and
third shots. Had Felix not rushed at the elephants,
I think I am truthful in saying that I should have
been crushed to death. After a few moments, and
some vigorous shouting on my part, the two gun-
bearers turned up, full of excuses, which I accepted,
having no alternative.
After a short search I found that my two shots
had proved effective, — a large female elephant was
lying on its side, though not yet dead. As we approached
it, it endeavoured to rise, and reached for us
with its trunk. As a precautionary measure, and
also to end its misery, I seized a Mannlicher, which
one of my gun-bearers carried, and discharged it
point-blank at the forehead of the elephant. Its life
fled.
It is supposed that a shot at the forehead of
an elephant cannot be attended with decisive results.
Many men have told me that even a shot
from an eight-bore rifle has proved inadequate to
stop the rush of an elephant, when made at its forehead.
However, I have met an English gentleman,
Mr. Frank Cooper, who had killed an elephant in
Africa with a .50 Winchester, shooting the animal
through the forehead; and the force of the bullet
was sufficient not only to penetrate the vast quantity
of bone which defends the elephant’s brain in front,
but after passing through this bone and the brain,
it shattered the rear wall of the brain-pan.
It took more than an hour to reassemble my scattered
men and the natives. According to their own
story, the Wanderobbo ran at least a mile upon
hearing the first shot. My Masai interpreter told
me he did not move, but added that on the next
occasion he would; for while standing at the edge
of the elephant path, he suddenly became aware that
a herd of elephants was approaching him at a tremendous
rate of speed. He at once threw himself
into the sharp thorn-bush on the side of the path,
braving the pain it inflicted rather than the onslaught
of the beasts. He managed to get perhaps three feet
from the path into the thick thorns, by the time the
leading elephant arrived at the place where he was
standing. There the elephant stopped, and began to
search for him with its trunk; and finally, having satisfied
itself of his whereabouts, reached for him. He
had his sandals in his hand; and being unable to
move on account of the thorns, as the trunk of the
elephant neared him, he instinctively held out the
sandals, which were promptly seized. The sandals
seemed to satisfy the curiosity of the beast; for having
taken them with its trunk, it dashed them to the
ground, and trampled upon them. Then with a
loud trumpeting of rage it passed down the path,
followed by its fellows, leaving Hassan (the interpreter)
greatly terrified, and offering thanks to Allah
for his escape.
When the natives found I had killed a large elephant,
their joy knew no bounds. They one and all
dashed at it, and plunged their spears into its lifeless
carcass. They sang and danced upon it, and in
every possible manner testified their joy. After these
mirthful capers, the Leguinan of the Wanderobbo
said to me that one elephant was not sufficient for