I had a careful and almost certain plan of shooting them.
Quite alone, with the exception of two faithful gun-bearers, I used to wait at the edge of the jungle at their feeding time, and watch their exit from the forest.

The most cautious stalking then generally enabled me to get a fatal shot before my presence was discovered.

This is the proper way to succeed with rogue elephants, although of course it is attended with considerable danger.

I was once very nearly caught near this spot, where the elephants are always particularly savage.

The lake was then much diminished in size by dry weather, and the water had retired for about a hundred yards from the edge of the forest, leaving a deep bed of mud covered with slime and decayed vegetable matter.
This slime had hardened in the sun and formed a cake over the soft mud beneath.