However, we at length fixed upon the tracks of a pair of elephants, and followed them up.

This was a work of considerable time, but the distant cracking of a bough at length attracted us to their position, and we shortly came up with them, just as they had winded us and were moving off.

I fired an ineffectual shot at the temple of one, which separated him from the other, after whom we started in chase at full speed.

Full speed soon ended in a stand-still in such ground; it was deep, stiff clay, in which we sank over our ankles at every step, and varied our struggles by occasionally flying sprawling over the slippery roots of the trees.
The elephants ran clean away from us, and the elephant-catchers, who knew nothing of the rules for carrying spare guns, entering into the excitement of the chase, and free from the impediments of shoes, ran lightly along the muddy ground, and were soon out of sight as well as the elephants.

Still we struggled on, when, presently we heard a shout and then a shot; then another shout; then the trumpet of an elephant.
Shot after shot then followed with a chorus of shouts; they were actually firing all our spare guns! In a few moments we were up with them.