Thanks, mamya. Not into guns ... so never heard of an elephant gun ... but, interestingly, nor does any one of my heavy Oxford or Collins dictionaries include it. So, I don't feel too bad about it .. and can easily see that 39d now needs to be be "sneak up ON - and not TO.
Didn't spot that 1263 would be published last Monday, so tomorrow
will be 1264. Ah, well .... off to choir practice!