enraged elephant quite unaware of what was behind him.  I felt certain that she would have either me or my horse.  I, however, determined not to relinquish my steed, but to hold on by the bridle.  My men, who, of course, kept at a safe distance, stood aghast with their mouths open, and for a few seconds my position was certainly not an enviable one.  Fortunately, however, the dogs took off the attention of the elephants; and just as they were upon me, I managed to spring into the saddle, where I was safe.  As I turned my back to mount, the elephants were so very near that I really expected to feel one of their trunks lay hold of me.  I rode up to Kleinboy for my double-barreled two-grooved rifle:  he and Isaac were pale and almost speechless with fright.  Returning to the charge, I was soon once more alongside and, firing from the saddle, I sent another brace of bullets into the wounded elephant.  Colesberg was extremely unsteady, and destroyed the correctness of my aim.

[Illustration:  CHARGE OF THE ELEPHANTS.]

The friend now seemed resolved to do some mischief, and charged me furiously, pursuing me to a distance of several hundred yards.  I therefore deemed it proper to give her a gentle hint to act less officiously, and, accordingly, having loaded, I approached within thirty yards, and give it her sharp, right and left, behind the shoulder, upon which she at once made off with drooping trunk, evidently with a mortal wound.  I never recur to this day’s elephant shooting without regretting my folly in contenting myself with securing only one elephant.  The first was now dying, and could not leave the ground, and the second was also mortally wounded, and I had only to follow and finish her; but I foolishly allowed her to escape, while I amused myself with the first, which kept walking backward, and standing by every tree she passed.  Two more shots finished her:  on receiving them, she tossed her trunk up and down two or three times, and, falling on her broadside against a thorny tree, which yielded like grass before her enormous weight, she uttered a deep, hoarse cry, and expired.  This was a very handsome old cow elephant, and was decidedly the best in the troop.  She was in excellent condition, and carried a pair of long and perfect tusks.  I was in high spirits at my success, and felt so perfectly satisfied with having killed one, that, although it was still early in the day, and my horses were fresh, I allowed the troop of five bulls to remain unmolested, foolishly trusting to fall in with them next day.

THE SHARK SENTINEL.