PART 11
The dead elephant turned out to be a female; and it probably had calves,
since milk flowed from its udders. I wanted to take a photograph and
sent Aulale for the equipment. The mule was three versts [two miles]
from us, the road went through forest, and Aulale asked that I give him
my rifle. I gave him the three-eighths-inch caliber rifle and was left
with a saber near the dead elephant.
The Kaffa ran to me and, after a quarter hour, the other ashkers
arrived. Following the tracks of the herd, they had come to this same
place. Zelepukin was looking for another wounded elephant; so I sent all
the ashkers to help him. Just two Kaffa stayed with me. After several
minutes, frequent shots resounded not far off. Then resounded the cries
of my ashkers that I should run because the whole herd of elephants was
coming at me. Actually, I could hear them bursting through the thicket
not far away. Both of the Kaffa who were with me hid in a moment. Beside
the dead elephant stood a large tree. Its roots were shaped like a
niche. The elephant trail went to the left of me, and from that side I
was hidden by bushes. To the right of the tree, the bushes were sparser.
I sat tight in that little cavern-like niche. Closer and closer, the
forest cracked; and the tramp of several hundred elephant feet became
deafening. Doubtless, they were coming straight toward me. But where
would they pass through: to the right or the left of the tree? Suddenly,
to the right, just beside me, appeared an enormous head, wide swinging
ears and weighty trunk... I sat, holding my breath. Did the elephant
notice me or not? It had already gone past me when suddenly it turned
back sharply and, as if rooted to the ground, stopped in front of me. It
looked at me with its little glistening eyes, moved forward, gathered up
its trunk, lifted the end of it high as if getting ready to make an
attack with it, moved back a bit, and, finally, quickly turned and went
away. The first danger had passed, but the wounded, and therefore the
most dangerous elephants might be running behind. Besides, the corpse of
an elephant which had just been killed lay nearby me, and everyone knows
that elephants in this case are vengeful.**** One after the other,
elephants ran past me. When what seemed to be last one ran past, and I
thought that the danger was over; suddenly I heard tramping, and one
more elephant heavily ran by me. It was wounded, and blood flowed from
its side. Having run past a few steps, it, like the first elephant,
turned sharply and came at me. It stopped just five paces in front of
me. Its eyes looked terribly evil. It stamped in place, sucked in its
trunk, as if intending to cruelly take revenge on the man who had
finally fallen into his power. Like two of the worst sworn enemies, we
stared each other in the eye. At that moment I didn't not think that God
would bring it about that I could ever describe this episode. Its
outcome seemed so certain that I now remember how I, from second to
second, expected my death...
But suddenly, it is incomprehensible why, the elephant cried out,
twirled its tail and, having turned sharply, ran off.
Blessings to all
Biniam
Arlington, Va, USA