CHAPTER XIV
A STAMPEDE
"Look to your guns, everybody!" cautioned Mr. Durban. "It's no joketo be caught in an elephant herd with an unloaded rifle. Have youplenty of ammunition, Mr. Damon?"
"Ammunition? Bless my powder bag, I think I have enough for all theelephants I'll kill. If I get one of the big beasts I'll besatisfied. Bless my piano keys! I think I see them, Tom!"
He pointed off through the thick jungle. Surely something was movingthere amid the trees; great slate-colored bodies, massive forms andwaving trunks! The trumpeting increased, and the crashing of theunderbrush sounded louder and nearer.
"There they are!" cried Tom Swift joyously.
"Now for my first big game!" yelled Ned Newton.
"Take it easy," advised Mr. Anderson. "Remember to aim for the spotI mentioned to you as being the best, just at the base of the skull.If you can't make a head shot, or through the eye, try for theheart. But with the big bullets we have, almost any kind of a shot,near a vital spot, will answer."
"And Tom can fire at their TOES and put them out of business,"declared Ned, who was eagerly advancing. "How about it, Tom?"
"Well, I guess the electric rifle will come up to expectations. Say,Mr. Durban, they seem to be heading this way!" excitedly cried Tom,as the herd of big beasts suddenly turned and changed their course.
"Yes, they are," admitted the old elephant hunter calmly. "But thatwon't matter. Take it easy. Kill all you can."
"But we don't want to put too many out of business," said Tom, whowas not needlessly cruel, even in hunting.
"I know that," answered Mr. Durban. "But this is a case ofnecessity. I've got to get ivory, and we have to kill quite a fewelephants to accomplish this. Besides the brutes will head for thevillage and the natives' grain fields, and trample them down, ifthey're not headed back. So all together now, we'll give them avolley. This is a good place! There they are. All line up now. Getready!"
He halted, and the others followed his example. The natives had cometo a stop some time before, and were huddled together in the jungleback of our friends, waiting to see the result of the white men'sshots.
Tom, Ned, Mr. Damon, and the two older hunters were on an irregularline in the forest. Before them was the mass of elephants advancingslowly, and feeding on the tender leaves of trees as they came on.They would reach up with their long trunks, strip off the foliage,and stuff it into their mouths. Sometimes, they even pulled up smalltrees by the roots for the purpose of stripping them more easily.
"Jove! There are some big tuskers in that bunch!" cried Mr. Durban."Aim for the bulls, every one, don't kill the mothers or littleones." Tom now saw that there were a number of baby Elephants in theherd, and he appreciated the hunter's desire to spare them and theirmothers.
"Here we go!" exclaimed Mr. Durban, as he saw that Tom and theothers were ready. "Aim! Fire!"
There were thundering reports that awoke the echoes of the jungle,and the sounds of the rifles were followed by shrill trumpets ofrage. When the smoke blew away three elephants were seen prostrate,or, rather two, and part of another one. The last was almost blownto pieces by Tom Swift's electric rifle; for the young inventor hadused a little too heavy charge, and the big beast had been almostannihilated.
Mr. Durban had dropped his bull with a well-directed shot, and Mr.Anderson had a smaller one to his credit.
"I guess I missed mine," said Ned ruefully.
"Bless my dress-suit case!" exclaimed Mr. Damon. "So did I!"
"One of you hit that fellow!" cried Mr. Durban. "He's wounded."
He pointed to a fair-sized bull who was running wildly about,uttering shrill cries of anger. The other beasts had gathered in acompact mass, with the larger bulls, or tuskers, on the outside, toprotect the females and young.
"I'll try a shot at him," said Tom, and raising his electric, gun,he took quick aim. The elephant dropped in his tracks, for this timethe young inventor had correctly adjusted the power of the wirelessbullet.
"Good!" cried Mr. Durban. "Give them some more! This is some of thebest ivory I've seen yet!"
As he spoke he fired, and bowled over another magnificent specimen.Ned Newton, determined to make a record of at least one, firedagain, and to his delight, saw a big fellow drop.
"I got him!" he yelled.
Mr. Anderson also got another, and then Mr. Damon, blessingsomething which his friends could not make out, fired at one of thelargest bulls in the herd.
"You only nipped him!" exclaimed Mr. Durban when the smoke haddrifted away. "I guess I'll put him out of his misery!"
He raised his weapon and pulled the trigger but no report followed.He uttered an exclamation of dismay.
"The breech-action has jammed!" he exclaimed. "Drop him, Tom. He'sscented us, and is headed this way. The whole herd will follow in aminute."
Already the big brute wounded by Mr. Damon had trumpeted out a cryof rage and defiance. It was echoed by his mates. Then, withupraised trunk, he darted forward, followed by a score of bigtuskers.
But Tom had heard and understood. The leading beast had not takenthree steps before he dropped under the deadly and certain fire ofthe young inventor.
"Bless my wishbone!" cried Mr. Damon when he saw how effective theelectric weapon was.
There was a shout of joy from the natives in the rear. They saw theslain creatures and knew there would be much fresh meat and feastingfor them for days to come.
Suddenly Mr. Durban cried out: "Fire again, Tom! Fire everybody! Thewhole herd is coming this way. If we don't stop them they'll overrunthe fields and village, and may smash the airship! Fire again!"
Almost as he spoke, the rush, which had been stopped momentarily,when Tom dropped the wounded elephant, began again. With shrillmenacing cries the score of bulls in the lead came on, followed thistime by the females and the young.
"It's a stampede!" yelled Mr. Anderson, firing into the midst of theherd. Mr. Durban was working frantically at his clogged rifle. Nedand Mr. Damon both fired, and Tom Swift, adjusting his weapon togive the heaviest charges, shot a fusillade of wireless bullets intothe center of the advancing elephants, who were now wild with fearand anger.
"It's a stampede all right!" said Tom, when he saw that the bigcreatures were not going to stop, in spite of the deadly fire pouredinto them.