"Shot in the Dark?"
Oil on panel, 32x52"
Price on request

The hunter, Grudzinski, sat in his tent, still unable to believe what had just happened. He had performed a feat the likes of which had never been told or heard of in sporting literature before this time. The year is 1898. Still shaking from the excitement he recalled what had just happened.

He had been feeling unwell and had remained at camp that day and was now spending a quiet night in bed in his tent. It was just before midnight and he was dozing off when the Somali porters roused him with the news that a herd of elephants was feeding close to camp. Quickly dressing, he grabbed his rifle and rushed outside into the clear moonlight followed by the Somalis and his gun bearer. The gun bearer grabbed a lamp and stayed close behind Grudzinski. Unexpectedly, as they rounded a clump of acacia, they almost ran into the browsing herd, which was now very alert to the hunter’s presence. The lead bull raised its head and flapped its ears; Grudzinski calmly took aim and fired. As soon as the shot was fired, the Somalis and his gun bearer made a quick exit. Shouting “the elephant is charging!”, without warning his shikaris scooped him up and man-handled him to safety. Not knowing what had happened to his elephant and annoyed at their intervention, Grudzinski reluctantly, returned to camp. Excitement was still high amongst the Somalis, who were most fearful of elephants, particularly at night. Only a few minutes had elapsed when one of the shikaris burst into the tent and announced that there was one big elephant standing in exactly the same place as the one he had shot at. Grabbing his rifle once again, he reloaded and went out into the night a second time. He could see a huge black object not thirty yards away, although it was difficult to judge exact distance in this light. He aimed at the chest area and fired; simultaneously, panic seized the Somalis again, and they dashed off in all directions towards camp. Before completing their retreat the elephant fell to Grudzinski’s lucky bullet. The men were elated and gradually returned to find that their hero white hunter had killed a bull elephant with magnificent tusks, at midnight, within two hundred yards of his tent. Such a feat was unheard of and he was probably given a new name by the Somalis that night.

What happened to the first elephant remained a mystery.