After requesting an elephant gun, the narrator finds a crowd beginning to form as he approaches the creature. His goal was never to kill the now peaceful creature, but with his burning gaze on him he submitted to their wishes. The Burmese people were hungry and wanted entertainment, and the narrator wanted to ease tensions between the two groups at least for the time being. He didn't kill the elephant because it was the right thing to do, but he did it to avoid looking like a fool. The huge animal, now helpless, took almost half an hour to die. The narrator's actions were justified by the Indian's death, but his regret comes from the knowledge that he too was helpless and that his actions were only the result of his