Elephants
We dashed into the cover of the bush, and as we did we could hear the elephant trumpeting as they dashed angrily towards us. When we reached the bush, we ran for 50 yds then turned sharp left at a right-angle and then ran for a further 300yds. We then doubled back for 100 yds before turning off in our original direction. By doubling back and turning like that it would confuse them as them tracked our scent. That was the idea, but the elephant heard us on the first 300 yd dash and came crashing straight through the bush following the scent and they fanned out smelling the ground with their trunks, and they then returned picked up our tracks once more were chasing after us and by now it was almost dark and it was getting hard to see, and quite terrifying with all the commotion and the knowledge that the whole massive herd were after us and quite rightly so!
So we now headed for a large patch of grass and tried to set fire to it. Normally in the veldt a cigarette will start a fire, but now when we wanted one urgently it was hard to start as there had been recent rains and the grass was still fairly lush. After an agonisingly slow start the flames suddenly took hold and flared up just as the herd leaders were about 40 yds away. We dashed for it in what felt like a world record sprint. Anyway we had got away from them but in the pitch dark we had to plough and push our way through the thick bush, of “wait a minute” hook-thorn creepers, skin burning buffalo bean and nettle bushes. We never noticed ay thing of it as we rushed in our panic back eventually into the safety of the village where the Africans welcomed us. We could hear the elephant now about 75 yds off behind us as they had walked round the fire to once again pick up our trail. It transpired next day that we had made the fire about 1 ½ miles from the village and it was only the drum beats that had saved us by giving us a direction of where to head. I must admit we were both really scared stiff it was quite a sensation and had really got the adrenalin going.
A TEST OF NERVES: Should an elephant become angry for whatever reason and then discover your whereabouts he is then very liable to attack. There is then little hope of escape though if one has a reliable weapon and you are a really good shot you can shoot it out. But the odds are usually in favour of the elephant because of his sheer size and bulk. Should he catch up with you then expect to be dashed to the ground with his trunk, picked up and flung at a tree, or be trampled under his enormous feet. Once satisfied that you are really dead he will often dig a hole with his foot and cover it up with earth and broken branches from nearby trees to make a sort of grave. I know of an elephant doing this with a man who had feigned death.
It took place when I was out shooting in Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) during the dry winter weather ..The wind became very changeable after 8 am and then again after 5 pm which meant that I had to be extremely careful that elephant did not pick up my scent. . I had with me two excellent African boys, the first Mchacha was the son of a chief, 6ft 2” tall well built, very quiet and laconic, loyal, faithful and brave. He looked and bore himself as a man born to lead and had a natural politeness and dignity and he never failed me. In fact he was the best tracker that I have ever own. The second man was Timothy who carried my water bag and spare rifle who was absolutely fearless, but over curious, and far too inquisitive, and he would never keep still. But he trusted me and my rifle far more than I did myself.
That morning I made an early rise from our primitive camp, going down a bush track in the vanette when I came across fresh elephant spoor crossing the road. Shortly after I spotted eleven elephant who had obviously crossed the road making for thicker vegetation alongside a dried river bed. After an hour we drove on to a water hole which had just been drained dry by another herd in front of us. In fact they had only just drunk the water out of the hole and the fish were still flapping about in the