towards me. If he could manage to hook it round any part of me I was
lost. But in the position I occupied, that was just what he could not
do, although he knelt down to facilitate his operations. On came the
snapping tip like a great open-mouthed snake; it closed upon my hat,
which vanished. Again it was thrust down, and a scream of rage was
bellowed through it within four inches of my head. Now it seemed to
elongate itself. Oh, heavens! now it had me by the hair, which, luckily
for myself, was not very long. Then it was my turn to scream, for next
instant half a square inch of hair was dragged from my scalp by the
roots. I was being plucked alive, as I have seen cruel Kaffir kitchen
boys pluck a fowl.

The elephant, however, disappointed with these moderate results, changed
his tactics. He wound his trunk round the fallen tree and lifted. The
tree stirred, but fortunately the broken branches embedded in the spongy
soil, and some roots, which still held, prevented it from being turned
over, though he lifted it so much that, had it occurred to him, he could
now easily have drawn me out with his trunk. Again he hoisted with all
his mighty strength, and I saw that the tree was coming, and roared
aloud for help. Some shots were fired close by in answer, but if they
hit the bull, their only effect was to stir his energies to more active
life. In another few seconds my shelter would be torn away, and I should
be done for. A cold perspiration burst out over me as I realized that I
was lost. Then of a sudden I remembered that I had a pistol in my belt,
which I often used for despatching wounded game. It was loaded and
capped. By this time the tree was lifted so much that I could easily get
my hand down to my middle and draw the pistol from its case. I drew and
cocked it. Now the tree was coming over, and there, within three feet of
my head, was the great brown trunk of the elephant. I placed the
muzzle of the pistol within an inch of it and fired. The result was