The tangled grass rendered retreat impossible.

I had only one barrel loaded, and that was useless, as the upraised trunk protected his forehead.

I felt myself doomed; the few thoughts that rush through men's minds in such hopeless positions, flew through mine, and I resolved to wait for him till he was close upon me, before I fired, hoping that he might lower his trunk and expose his forehead.
He rushed along at the pace of a horse in full speed; in a few moments, as the grass flew to the right and left before him, he was close upon me, but still his trunk was raised and I would not fire.

One second more, and at this headlong pace he was within three feet of me; down slashed his trunk with the rapidity of a whip-thong! and with a shrill scream of fury he was upon me! I fired at that instant; but in a twinkling of an eye I was flying through the air like a ball from a bat.

At the moment of firing.