Of course
I ought to have abandoned the tusks; often and often have I since
reproached myself for not doing so. Indeed, I think that my obstinacy
about them was downright sinful, but I was always obstinate about such
things, and I could not bear the idea of leaving those splendid tusks
which had cost me so much pains and danger to come by. Well, it nearly
cost me my life also, and did cost poor Gobo his, as will be seen
shortly, to say nothing of the loss inflicted by my rifle on the enemy.
When I reached the projection I found that the men, with their usual
stupidity, were trying to hand up the tusks point first. Now the result
of this was that those above had nothing to grip except the round
polished surface of the ivory, and in the position in which they were,
this did not give them sufficient hold to enable them to lift the
weight. I told them to reverse the tusks and push them up, so that the
rough and hollow ends came to the hands of the men above. This they did,
and the first two were dragged up in safety.
"At this point, looking behind me, I saw the Matukus streaming up the
slope in a rough extended order, and not more than a hundred yards away.
Cocking the Winchester I turned and opened fire on them. I don't quite
know how many I missed, but I do know that I never shot better in my
life. I had to keep shifting myself from one enemy to the other, firing
almost without getting a sight, that is, by the eye alone, after the
fashion of the experts who break glass balls.
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