-^ Hlcphant-liunting 



was out of rant4(', aiul 1 could hut marvel at tht; rate 

 they went at. I turned now to the talleii hull, not ycA 

 quite dead. In a tew moments my camera was in position, 

 and I was ahle to take se\'eral ])hoto^Taphs of the animal. 

 'Ilu-re was now no time to lose. While I saw that all 

 the others of my party came up, I o^ave orders tor the head 

 ot the elephant to he skinned and his teeth L^ot out ; and 

 then chose six of the stroni^est of my men to continue the 

 hunt with me. 'Vhit others 1 ordered to remain near 

 the dead elephant and next day to carry the skin of its 

 head and its teeth to camp, regretting much that, owing 

 to the distance and the scanty number of my men, it 

 was not practicable to prepare the entire skin. 



The small amount (jf water now available I required 

 for mv six tollovvers, and I set out a few momcMits later — 

 somewhat too hurriedly, tor all the ropes were lett behind, 

 an oversight we had to pay dearly tor the same day. 



We followed now on the new elephant-tracks. J)oth 

 the cows that had bec-n shot bled protusely, but 

 ke|it on their way with the others, and alter pursuing 

 th(jm tor about an hour and a half 1 came upon them all 

 again shortly betore sunset, grouped in an imposing 

 mass, the males and temales apart as betore, underneath 

 acacia-trees, on a part of the velt offering j:)ractically 

 no cover. Mcjtionless, Ijut for the swinging ot their ears 

 to and tro, they stood thert- — -a great solid, impressive mass, 

 cohjured a reddishd^rown by their mud-baths and sand- 

 baths. In the glow of the sunset they presented just 

 the same picture they had in the morning. 



I was able to get to within 150 paces of them ; on this 



179 



