Heavens! what a howl there was when the shot took effect!
What a sudden stoppage of Holkar's speech! What a hideous snorting of
elephants! What a rush backwards was made by the whole army, as if some
demon was pursuing them!
Away they went. No sooner did I see them in full retreat, than, rushing
forward myself, I shouted to my men, "My friends, yonder lies your
dinner!" We flung open the gates--we tore down to the spot where the
elephants had fallen: seven of them were killed; and of those that
escaped to die of their hideous wounds elsewhere, most had left their
trunks behind them. A great quantity of them we seized; and I myself,
cutting up with my scimitar a couple of the fallen animals, as a butcher
would a calf, motioned to the men to take the pieces back to the fort,
where barbacued elephant was served round for dinner, instead of
the miserable allowance of an olive and a glass of wine, which I had
promised to my female friends, in my speech to them. The animal reserved
for the ladies was a young white one--the fattest and tenderest I
ever ate, in my life: they are very fair eating, but the flesh has
an India-rubber flavor, which, until one is accustomed to it, is
unpalatable.
It was well that I had obtained this supply, for, during my absence on
the works, Mrs.
Pages:
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321