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18.

[[underline]] Nov. 23 [[/underline]]

A Black letter day. Off at 8. am in response to word of Elephants. Got within sight[[strikethrough]] s [[/strikethrough]] of three or four  enormous herds, about 9.30. We eventually selected the smallest. About 45 elephants & went down to them. There was a good steady wind & we got pretty close. We made out 3 good bulls, one monster but none carrying as good tusks as we had got. The bulls kept well in the middle of the herd & we could not get near enough to shoot. Eventually about 12.45 they settled down to rest. One bull being on the outskirts and the big one and another in the middle, surrounded by cows & small ones. We got in as close we could, rarely 100 yards & decided to have a go at the big one in the middle. His head & back showed well over the small ones. L. fired with his .375 and I with my .577, both aiming at the head. The [[strikethrough]] f [[/strikethrough]] bull staggered & almost fell, but in a second 2 cows had him propped up one on either side and all went off in a bunch across our front giving us no chance of a second shot. The went into a hollow close to our right - And we had to shift in case they should emerge close to us & get our wind. The bull was hard hit and