"Narrow Escape"
Oil on panel, 18x36"
SOLD

Man and horse are exhausted from a long ride, when the hunter comes face to face with his chosen prey. He takes careful aim at the elephant from the back of his horse. The elephant had already been wigged behind the ear and has now turned to catch sight of its foe. Then as the elephant turns sideways, the man fires from his steady mount, hitting the elephant between the neck and shoulder. Recoiling from the impact, the elephant backs up a few paces and turns to face the enemy again. It is about thirty yards distant as the hunter starts to reload his rifle. Expecting a charge any moment, he grabs the bridle and turns the horse’s head away so as to get a good start. Just then, he sees the elephant coming on at a good pace, the hunter gives spur, but his horse doesn’t respond. It iss tired. Instead of taking off at speed, it goes into a trot and then a canter, but never a gallop, despite the rider’s urging. In no time at all the elephant is upon him with a deafening scream from above, and both he and the horse are violently dashed to the ground. The elephant towers over the man and before he can recover himself and his gun, it drops to the ground, kneeling and pushing its tusks into the ground. The hunter feels sure his time iss up. Suddenly the hunter finds himself underneath the beast but behind the front legs, and miraculously, he has been spared. He rolls from under the massive bulk and quickly makes for the cover of the nearby bush, with only scratches and bruises. He can see his saddle on the ground, but no horse. The elephant, still very agitated, swings its head from side to side looking for its foe. The hunter tries to run in the opposite direction of the elephant’s line of vision constantly keeping the elephant’s hindquarters in front of him.

It is September 17, 1878 in Mashuna Land, and the hunter is the famous Frederick Courteney Selous.