one was not a quarter of a mile from us; another was so far off he could hardly be distinguished; another was close to the opposite jungle; and they were, in fact, all single elephants.There was an exception to this, however, in one pair, who stood in the very centre of the tank, side by side; they were as black as ebony, and although in view with many brother rogues, they appeared giants even among giants.The Moormen immediately informed us that they were a notorious pair, who always associated together, and were the dread of the neighbourhood.There were many tales of their ferocity and daring, which at the time we gave little heed to.
Crossing the tank in a large canoe, we arrived in the open forest upon the opposite shore.It was a mass of elephant tracks; which sank deep in the soft earth.They were all so fresh and confused that tracking was very difficult.However, we at length fixed upon the tracks of a pair of elephants, and followed them up.This was a work of considerable time, but the distant cracking of a bough at length attracted us to their position, and we shortly came up with them, just as they had winded us and were moving off.I fired an ineffectual shot at the temple of one, which separated him from the other, after whom we started in chase at full speed.Full speed soon ended in a stand-still in such ground; it was deep, stiff clay, in which we sank over our ankles at every step, and varied our struggles by occasionally flying sprawling over the slippery roots of the trees.
The elephants ran clean away from us, and the elephant-catchers, who knew nothing of the rules for carrying spare guns, entering into the excitement of the chase, and free from the impediments of shoes, ran lightly along the muddy ground, and were soon out of sight as well as the elephants.Still we struggled on, when, presently we heard a shout and then a shot; then another shout; then the trumpet of an elephant.
Shot after shot then followed with a chorus of shouts; they were actually firing all our spare guns!
In a few moments we were up with them.In a beautifully open piece of forest, upon good hard ground, these fellows were having a regular battle with the rogue.He was charging them with the greatest fury, but he no sooner selected one man for his object than these active fellows diverted his rage by firing into his hind-quarters and yelling at him.
At this he would immediately turn and charge another man, when he would again be assailed as before.When we arrived he immediately selected B., and came straight at him, but offered a beautiful shot in doing so, and B.dropped him dead.
The firing had disturbed a herd of elephants from the forest, and they had swum the large river in the neighbourhood, which was at that time so swollen that we could not cross it.We, therefore, struck off to the edge of the forest, where the waters of the lake washed the roots of the trees, and from this point we had a fine view of the greater portion.
All the rogues that we had at first counted had retired to their several entrances in the forest, except the pair of desperadoes already mentioned--they knew no fear, and had not heeded the shots fired.They were tempting baits, and we determined to get them if possible.These two elephants were standing belly-deep in the water, about a quarter of a mile from the shore; and the question was, `How were we to get near them?' Having observed that the other rogues had retreated to the forest at the noise of the firing, it struck me that we might by some ruse induce these two champions to follow their example, and, by meeting them on their entrance, we might bring them to action.
Not far upon our left, a long shallow bank, covered with reeds, stretched into the tank.By wading knee-deep along this shoal, a man might approach to within 200 paces of the elephants and would be nearly abreast of them.I, therefore, gave a man a gun, and instructed him to advance to the extreme end of the shallows, taking care to conceal himself in the rushes, and when at the nearest point he was to fire at the elephants.This, I hoped, would drive them to the jungle, where we should endeavour to meet them.
The Moorman entrusted upon this mission was a plucky fellow, and he started off, taking a double gun and a few charges of powder and ball.
The elephant-catchers were delighted with the idea, and we patiently awaited the result.About a quarter of an hour passed away, when we suddenly saw a puff of white smoke spring from the green rushes at the point of the sandbank.A few moments after, we heard the report of the gun, and we saw the ball splash in the water close to the elephants.
They immediately cocked their ears, and, throwing their trunks high in the air, they endeavoured to wind the enemy; but they did not move, and they shortly again commenced feeding upon the water-lilies.Another shot from the same place once more disturbed them, and, while they winded the unseen enemy, two more shots in quick succession from the old quarter decided their opinion, and they stalked proudly through the water towards the shore.
