Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 3.djvu/50

I fell into the Hands of a rich Merchant, who, as ſoon as he bought me, carried me to his Houſe, treated me well, and clad me handſomely for a Slave. Some Days after, not knowing what I was, he ask’d me if I under ſtood any Trade? I anſwer’d, that I was no Mechanick, but a Merchant, and that the Corſairs who ſold me, robb’d me of all I had. But tell me, replies he, can you ſhoot with a Bow? I anſwer’d, That the Bow was one of my Exerciſes in my Youth, and I had not yet forgot it. Then he gave me a Bow and Arrows, and, taking me behind him upon an Elephant, carried me to a vaſt Forreſt ſome Leagues from the Town. We went a great way into the Foreſt, and when he thought fit to ſtop, he bid me alight, then ſhewing me a great Tree, Climb up that Tree, ſays he. and ſhoot at the Elephants as you ſee them paſs by, for there is a prodigious Number of them in this Forreſt and if any of ’em fall come and give me notice of it: Having ſpoke thus, he left me Victuals and returned to the Town, and I continued upon the Tree all the Night.

I ſaw no Elephant during that time, but next Morning, as ſoon as the Sun was up, I ſaw a great Number, I ſhot ſeveral Arrows among them, and at laſt one of the Elephants fell; the reſt retir’d immediately, and left me at Liberty to go and acquaint my Patron with my Booty. When I told him the News, he gave me a good Meal, commended my Dexterity, and careſſed me mightily. We went afterwards together to the Forreſt, where we dug a hole for the Elephant, my Patron deſigning to return when it was rotten, and to take his Teeth, out to trade with.

I continu’d this Game for two Months, and kill’d an Elephant every Day, getting ſometimes upon one Tree and ſometimes upon another. One Morning, as I look’d for the Elephants, I perceiv’d with an extream Amazement, that inſtead of paſſing by mea croſs the Forreſt as uſual, they ſtopp’d and came to me with a horrible Noiſe, in ſuch a Number that the Earth was cover’d with them, and fhook under them. They encompaſſ’d the Tree where I was, with their Trunk: extended and their Eyes all fix’d upon me, at this frightful Spectacle I continu’d unmoveable, and was fo much frightn’d that my Bow and Arrows fell out of my Hand.