Hallooing and screaming at them with all my might to tease some
of the old bulls into a charge, I ran at top speed through the
fine open forest, and soon got among a whole crowd of half-grown
elephants, at which I would not fire; there were a lot of fine
beasts pushing along in the front, and toward these I ran as hard
as I could go. Unfortunately, the herd seeing me so near and
gaining upon them, took to the ruse of a beaten fleet and
scattered in all directions; but I kept a few big fellows in
view, who were still pretty well together, and managed to
overtake the rearmost and knock him over. Up went the tail and
trunk of one of the leading bulls at the report of the shot, and
trumpeting shrilly, he ran first to one side, then to the other,
with his ears cocked and sharply turning his head to either side.
I knew this fellow had his monkey up, and that a little teasing
would bring him round for a charge. I therefore redoubled my
shouts and yells and kept on in full chase, as the elephants were
straining every nerve to reached a piece of thick jungle within a
couple of hundred paces.
I could not go any faster, and I saw that the herd, which was
thirty or forty yards ahead of me, would gain the jungle before I
could overtake them, as they were going at a slapping pace and I
was tolerably blown with a long run at full speed, part of which
had been through deep mud and water.
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