第37章

The two remaining cows appeared to have taken a lesson from the fate of their comrades; and showing no disposition to charge, I advanced towards them to within twenty yards.One of the cows now commended tearing the muddy ground with her horns, and thus offered a certain shot, which Iaccordingly took, and dropped her dead with a ball in the nape of the neck.This was too much for the remaining buffalo; she turned to plunge into the lake, but the four-ounce through her shoulder brought her down before she could reach the water, into which the three calves had sprung, and were swimming for the main shore.I hit the last calf in the head with a double-barrelled gun, and he immediately sank; and I missed another calf with the left-hand barrel; therefore two escaped.I sent a man into the water to find the dead calf, which he soon did, and hauled it to the shore; and having reloaded, I proceeded to examine the hits on the dead buffaloes.It was fortunate that I had reloaded; for I had no sooner approached to within three or four yards of the cow that I had left dying, when she suddenly sprang to her feet, and would have charged, had I not killed her by a ball in the head from a light double-barrel that I was then carrying.These animals had shown as good sport as I had ever witnessed in buffalo-shooting, but the two heavy rifles were fearful odds against them, and they were added to the list of the slain.It was now late in the evening, and I had had a long day's work in the broiling sun.I had bagged ten buffaloes, including the calf, and having cut a fillet from the latter, I took a gun, loaded with shot, from my horse-keeper, and gave up ball-shooting, having turned my attention to a large flock of teal, which I had disturbed in attacking the buffaloes.This flock I had marked down in a small stream which flowed into the lake.A cautious approach upon my hands and knees, through the grass, brought me undiscovered to the bank of the stream, where, in a small bay, it emptied itself into the lake, and a flock of about eighty teal were swimming among the water-lilies within twenty yards of me.I fired one barrel on the water, and the other in the air as they rose, killing five and wounding a sixth, which escaped by continual diving.On my way home I killed a few snipe, till at length the cessation of daylight put an end to all shooting.

The moon was full and shone over the lake with great brilliancy; the air was cool and refreshing after the great heat of the day; and the chirp of the snipe and whistling sound of the wild fowl on the lake were the only noises that disturbed the wild scene around.The tent fires were blazing brightly in the forest at about a mile distant; and giving my gun to the horse-keeper, I mounted and rode towards the spot.

I was within half a mile of the tent, and had just turned round an angle made by the forest, when I suddenly saw the grey forms of several elephants, who had just emerged from the forest, and were feeding in the high grass within a hundred yards of me.I counted seven, six of which were close to the edge of the jungle, but the seventh was a large bull elephant, who had advanced by himself about sixty yards into the plain.

I thought I could cut this fellow off, and, taking my big rifle, Idismounted and crept cautiously towards him.He winded me before I had gone many paces, gave a shrill trumpet of alarm, and started off for the jungle; the rest of the herd vanished like magic, while I ran after the bull elephant at my best speed.He was too quick for me, and I could not gain upon him, so, halting suddenly, I took a steady shot at his ear with the four-ounce at about seventy yards.Down he went to the shot, but I heard him roar as he lay upon ,the ground, and I knew he would be up again in a moment.In the same instant, as I dropped my empty rifle, a double-barrelled gun was pushed into my hand, and I ran up to him, just in time to catch him as he was half risen.Feeling sure of him, Iran up within two yards of his head and fired into his forehead.To my amazement he jumped quickly up, and with a loud trumpet he rushed towards the jungle.I could just keep close alongside him, as the grass was short and the ground level, and being determined to get him, I ran close to his shoulder, and, taking a steady shot behind the ear, I fired my remaining barrel.Judge of my surprise!--it only increased his speed, and in another moment he reached the jungle: he was gone.He seemed to bear a charmed life.I had taken two shots within a few feet of him that I would have staked my life upon.I looked at my gun.Ye gods! I had been firing SNIPE SHOT at him.It was my rascally horse-keeper, who had actually handed me the shot-gun, which I had received as the double-barrelled ball-gun that I knew was carried by a gun-bearer.How Idid thrash him! If the elephant had charged instead of making off Ishould have been caught to a certainty.

This day's shooting was the last day of good sport that I ever had at Minneria.It was in June, 1847.The next morning I moved my encampment and started homewards.To my surprise I saw a rogue elephant drinking in the lake, within a quarter of a mile of me; but the Fates were against his capture.I stalked him as well as I could, but he winded me, and came on in full charge with his trunk up.The heavy rifle fortunately turned but did not kill him, and he escaped in thorny jungle, through which I did not choose to follow.