TWO KILLED IN ONE NIGHT-WHERE TO AIM. 401

her. No sooner, however, had I effected my escape, than the whole herd made a simultaneous rush at me, and trumpeted so shrilly as to cause every man at the camp, as I learned afterward, to start out of his sleep. Fortunately, the darkness prevented the beasts from following me; and, the jungle being close by, I was soon in safety. In my precipitate flight, however, I severely lacerated my feet; for, when stalking the elephants, I had taken off my shoes, that I might the better steal upon them.

When, after a while, I ventured out of my place of concealment, I found every thing quiet; only one solitary elephant remained. Having approached within a short distance, I could distinctly see him laving water on to his sides with his trunk. I immediately suspected he belonged to the troop of seven bulls, and was the one that I had fired at. Seating myself right across his path, I quietly watched his proceedings. After a time I saw him, as I thought, moving off in an opposite direction; but I was mistaken, for in another instant his towering form loomed above me. It was too late to get out of his way; so, quickly raising myself on one knee, I took a steady aim at his fore leg. On receiving the ball he uttered the most plaintive cries, and, rushing past me, soon disappeared in the neighboring forest. The next afternoon he was discovered dead within rifle-shot of the water. It had been a very successful night, for a fine female elephant had also fallen to my other shot.*

*

* I lost many noble beasts from the small calibre of my guns, which did not carry more than fourteen and seventeen balls respectively to the pound. This was more especially the case as regarded the elephants; and it was not until after a time, and when they had become scarce and shy, that I found out the way of bringing them down with any certainty at one or two shots. I found the best part to aim at (when shooting by night) was the shoulder, either behind or in the centre, near to the lower edge of the ear. Another good point, provided the gun be of large calibre, is to fire at the leg, which once broken, the animal, in almost every instance, is completely at the mercy of the hunter.

402

TIMBO'S RETURN-LECHOLÈTÉBÈ—LOGIC.

CHAPTER XXXII.

Timbo's Return from the Lake; his Logic; he takes the Law in his own Hands.-Calf of Author's Leg goes astray.-A troop of Elephants.-Author is charged by one of them, and narrowly escapes Death. He shoots a white Rhinoceros.-He disables a black Rhinoceros. He is charged and desperately bruised and wounded by the latter. He saves the Life of his Attendant, Kamapyu.-Author again charged by the Rhinoceros, and escapes Destruction only by the opportune Death of his Antagonist.-Reflections.-He starts for the Ngami.

I learn

AFTER about a week's absence Timbo returned. ed from him that, previously to his arrival at the Ngami, Lecholètébè, the chief, had not, contrary to my expectations, been made aware of my approach, and the sudden appearance of strangers, therefore, created no small degree of surprise and consternation both to him and his people, who fled precipitately with their flocks.

Many years before, when my friends, the Damaras, extended their migration to the neighborhood of the lake in question, the Bechuanas were in the habit of robbing them of their cattle. "How does it happen," said Lecholètébè to Timbo, "that the Damaras are your servants? They are a mighty nation, rich in cattle, which I know well, because my father fought many a bloody battle with them. We invariably came off victorious, though often at the cost of numbers of our warriors, who were slain by the broad assegai of the DaAll is not right! Is your master richer than they?" To this query Timbo logically replied, "No, my master no rich; master very poor; but master has something, and Damaras nothing; therefore master more rich than Damaras.” Timbo then explained the way in which that tribe had

maras.

TIMBO TAKES THE LAW INTO HIS OWN HANDS. 403

been impoverished and nearly exterminated, as also the motives of our journey. On hearing all this, the apprehensions of the chief gradually subsided, and he became more communicative and friendly, urging Timbo to return to me without delay and hurry on my departure, being anxious, as he said, for my arrival; he moreover hinted that he would forthwith send men to meet and assist us in our progress. But here ended his courtesy; for subsequently he allowed our party, while at his town, all but to starve. It seems a characteristic of black chieftains to be avaricious.

Previously to reaching Lecholètébè's residence it was necessary to cross the Zouga, his town having been removed to the north side of the river, from fear, as it is said, of Sekomo, another Bechuana chieftain. When Timbo and his party were on their return to me, the natives refused to ferry them over the river without payment. "Me have no money," said Timbo; "but me soon make Caffres do it for nothing: me say, 'So you will not row me across!' And with that me lay hold of big stick, and me pitch into the rascals. Oh, master, such fun! me now get plenty of boats." "But were

you not afraid of resorting to such severe measures?" I inquired. "Me frightened!" he exclaimed; "no, me flog natives very well; it do them plenty good; the fellows too lazy to do work."

I now resolved to lose no more time, but to push on at once to the Lake. My leg had in some degree recovered its strength, but, unobserved by me, it had received a somewhat ugly twist. Little George first drew my attention to the fact: "Sir," said he, "your leg has grown crooked."

"Crooked!" echoed I, somewhat angrily. "What do you

mean?"

"Only," he wickedly replied, "the calf is nearly where the shin ought to be."

The boy's remark was not without foundation; but in time the leg assumed its proper shape.

404

GAME WARY-ELEPHANTS APPROACHING.

Notwithstanding my anxious desire to reach the Ngami— the goal of my wishes-I determined, before finally leaving Kobis, to devote one more day, or rather night, to the destruction of the denizens of the forest. But the adventure nearly terminated fatally; and the night of the 15th of July will ever be remembered by me as one of the most eventful epochs of my life; for, in the course of it, I was three several times in the very jaws of death, and only escaped destruction by a miracle.

From the constant persecution to which the larger game had of late been subjected at Kobis, it had become not only scarce, but wary; and hearing that elephants and rhinoceroses still continued to resort to Abeghan, I forthwith proceeded there on the night in question. Somewhat incautiously I took up my position-alone, as usual-on a narrow neck of land dividing two small pools, the space on either side of my "skärm" being only sufficient for a large animal to stand between me and the water. I was provided with a blanket and two or three spare guns.

It was one of those magnificent tropical moonlight nights when an indescribable soft and enchanting light is shed over the slumbering landscape; the moon was so bright and clear that I could discern even a small animal at a considerable distance.

I had just completed my arrangements, when a noise that I can liken only to the passage of a train of artillery broke the stillness of the air; it evidently came from the direction of one of the numerous stony paths, or rather tracks, leading to the water, and I imagined it was caused by some wagons that might have crossed the Kalahari. Raising myself partially from my recumbent posture, I fixed my eyes steadily on the part of the bush whence the strange sounds proceeded, but for some time I was unable to make out the cause. at once, however, the mystery was explained by the appearance of an immense elephant, immediately followed by oth

All

THE AUTHOR ESCAPES DEATH BY A MIRACLE.

405

ers, amounting to eighteen. Their towering forms told me at a glance that they were all males. It was a splendid sight to behold so many huge creatures approaching with a free, sweeping, unsuspecting, and stately step. The somewhat elevated ground whence they emerged, and which gradually sloped toward the water, together with the misty night air, gave an increased appearance of bulk and mightiness to their naturally giant structures.

Crouching down as low as possible in the "skärm," I waited with beating heart and ready rifle the approach of the leading male, who, unconscious of peril, was making straight for my hiding-place. The position of his body, however, was unfavorable for a shot; and, knowing from experience that I had little chance of obtaining more than a single good one, I waited for an opportunity to fire at his shoulder, which, as before said, is preferable to any other part when shooting at night. But this chance, unfortunately, was not afforded till his enormous bulk towered above my head. The consequence was, that, while in the act of raising the muzzle of my rifle over the "skärm," my body caught his eye, and, before I could place the piece to my shoulder, he swung himself round, and with trunk elevated and ears spread, desperately charged me. It was now too late to think of flight, much less of slaying the savage beast. My own life was in imminent jeopardy; and seeing that, if I remained partially erect, he would inevitably seize me with his proboscis, I threw myself on my back with some violence, in which position, and without shouldering the rifle, I fired upward at random toward his chest, uttering at the same time the most piercing shouts and cries. The change of position, in all human probability, saved my life; for, at the same instant, the trunk of the enraged animal descended precisely on the spot where I had been previously couched, sweeping away the stones (many of a large size) that formed the fore part “skärm” like so many pebbles. In another moment his broad fore feet passed directly over my face.

of my