NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



man," was greatly dreaded by both Europeans and 

 natives living in the vicinity of Addo Bush. He 

 charged out one day on a Dutchman named Ver- 

 maak and killed him. On another occasion he v^^ay- 

 laid an inoffensive native, and with a stroke of his 

 trunk knocked him down and pounded his body 

 beyond recognition. A Hottentot, seeking lost 

 cattle on the outskirts of the bush, was stalked by 

 this vicious old Elephant. The man fled, pursued 

 by this great beast, and when almost overtaken he 

 spied an Aard-Vark hole, down which he crept. 

 The Elephant raged, stamped and tore up the soil 

 in masses with his tusks, but realising his intended 

 prey had escaped him, he sullenly retired. On 

 another occasion a Hottentot sought sanctuary 

 down an Aard-Vark hole, but his pursuer did not 

 realise he had escaped into the earth, and con- 

 cluded he was up a tree. Determined to pound the 

 life out of the man, he systematically tore down 

 every tree in the immediate vicinity of the Aard- 

 Vark hole, and scattered them over the ground. 

 Knowing by his keen sense of smell that the man 

 was concealed somewhere near, he stamped up and 

 down and round about until all the herbage had 

 been flattened out. At last, utterly baffled, he 

 retreated. An hour later the half-smothered 

 Hottentot crept out and sped away to safety. This 

 old bull was a terror to poachers. There was another 

 rogue bull Elephant. He was as vicious as " Baard- 

 man," and his reputation for unprovoked assaults on 



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