第41章

Ialwayskeptmygunsandammunitioninbeautifulorder，arrangedonarackinthecabin。Ontheleft-handsideweretheshotguns，i。e。，twobreechloadingNo。12；fourmuzzleloadingNo。10。Ontheright，therifles：thelittle”Dutchman，”twobreechloadingReillyNo。8，twomuzzleloadingHollandhalf-pounders，thatcarriedanironlead-coatedexplosiveshell，containingaburstingchargeofhalfanounceoffinegrainpowder。Thesetwoelephantrifleswereveryhardhitters，andcarriedtwelvedrachmsofpowder。Theammunitionfortherifleswasonashelfthatformedtherack，containedinasmallbagwithasimplereload，andalargebagwithaconsiderablesupply。Thesmallbagwasintendedforthedeck，shouldIcallsuddenlyforarifle。

Seeingthattheelephantsweresonear，Iatonceorderedmyhorse，”GreedyGrey，”tobesaddled，andtheriflesandammunitiontobesentafterme。Myservant，Suleiman，whohadstartedwithmefromAlexandria，wasanhonest，goodcreature，butsoexceedinglynervousthathewasphysicallyuselessinanysuddenemergency。Theclimateofthemarshesduringourlongvoyagehadsoaffectedhisnervoussystem，thatanyalarmorstartwouldsethimtremblingtosuchanextent，thathisteethchatteredasthoughhehadbeenbathinginicedwater。However，therewasnotimetolose，asIexpectedthatshouldtheelephantsobserveourvessels，andthetroopsintheirscarletuniform，theywouldimmediatelywheelroundandbeoff，atthepacewhichanAfricanelephantknowssowellhowtouse。

Iquicklymounted”GreedyGrey”andtoldSuleimantosendonmyriflesdirectly，withammunition。

Iorderedmymentorunuptheheights，andtocomedownatabout200

pacesintherearoftheelephants，wheretheyweretoformalineasthoughinskirmishingorder。Thislineofredshirtswouldmostprobablychecktheelephantsfromrushingback。Mymenhadorderstofireattheelephants，andtoendeavourtoturnthemshouldtheyattemptaretreat。

Iwasnowon”GreedyGrey；”theslopinggroundwasascleanasarace-course，Ithereforegallopeduptheinclinesoastokeepabovetheelephants。Thehorseflewalongatfullspeed。Atthismoment，achorusofshoutsfromgreatnumbersofnativeswhohadcollectedontheeastbankoftheriverwasraisedinadmirationofthewhitehorse，whichtheyprobablythoughtwouldinsomemannerseizetheelephants。

InaveryfewsecondsIreinedupontheslope，aboutahundredyardsabovetheherd，whichhadnowhaltedclosetotheriver’sbank。Theyregardedthehorsewithsomecuriosity，andmassedthemselvestogether。

Inthemeantime，my”Forty，”whowerecapitalrunners，weremovingrapidlyalongtheheights，andtheypresentlycamedown，andformedinalong，openlinefromtheedgeoftheriveruptheslope。Duringthisoperation，theelephantsonlymovedtheirearsandtrunks，butremainedinthesameposition。Theywerenowcompletelysurrounded；thediahbeeahandmypeoplewereintheirfront，Iwasabovethemononeflank，andtheservantswerecomingupwiththerifles。Intheirrearwasalineofabouttwentysoldiers，andontheotherflankwasthedeepriver，about110yardswidefromthemainlandtotheisland。

JustastherifleswerewithinafewyardsofmeandIwaspreparingtodismount，theelephantswheeledsuddenlyround，andtooktowater。

Theyhadbeenstandinginalow，swampyspotthatwasfrequentlyoverflowed：thustheyhadnodifficultyindescendingtotheriver。

Closetothisplace，thebankswereperpendicular，andashardasbrick。

Irandowntotheriver，butbythetimeofmyarrival，theelephantshadgainedtheoppositebank；there，however，theywereinadifficulty。

Thewaterwasdeep，andtheshoreoftheislandwasperpendicular，andaboutsixfeetabovethewater。Theycouldnotgetoutwithoutbreakingdownthebanksoastoformanincline。Alreadytheseenormouscreatures，whichareaccustomedtosuchdifficulties，weretearingdowntheearthwiththeirtusksandhorny-toedfeet；stillitwasaworkoftime，thatgavemeagoodopportunity。

Itwasdifficulttoobtainashot，astheelephantswereendon。Thedistancewasabout110yards，whichisveryuncertainforsolargeananimal，thatmustbestruckexactlyintherightplace。

IfiredseveralshotswiththeNo。8breechloader，aimedatthebackoftheirheads，butnoneoftheseweresuccessful。

Monsoorhadtheammunition，andreloadedforme。Thestunningeffectoftheheavymetalconfusedtheanimalsandcausedonetofallbackwardintothescramblingherd。Thisturnedanelephantsideways。Thebankhadalreadygivenwayandhadfalleninlargemassesintothewater，whichreducedthedepth。Theelephants，whichhadnowg

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