IV A KIND PRECEPTOR 51 



shot that brought him on to his hind-quarters. He 

 regained his legs, and walked off slowly, and I 

 managed, though now very tired, to keep up with 

 him until I had the satisfaction of seeing him tall to 

 the earth with a crash. I could still hear Cigar firing, 

 but I was so thoroughly exhausted that I did not 

 attempt to stir from where I lay panting in the shade 

 cast by my last elephant's carcase. 



Presently Cigar returned. He had killed four 

 elephants, and his boys two more. I may here 

 say that Cigar was a slight-built, active Hottentot, 

 possessed of wonderful powers of endurance, and a 

 very good game shot, though a bad marksman at a 

 target. These qualities, added to lots of pluck, made 

 him a most successful elephant-hunter ; and for toot 

 hunting in the " fly " country I do not think I could 

 have had a more skilful or a kinder preceptor ; for 

 although only an uneducated Hottentot — once a 

 jockey at Graham's Town — he continually allowed 

 me to have the first shot, whilst the elephants were 

 still standing — a great advantage to give me — and 

 never tried in any way to overreach me or claim 

 that he had first wounded any animal that I 

 killed. Strangely enough. Cigar told me that, 

 when the celebrated hunter, Mr. William Finaughty, 

 first took him after elephants on horseback, he had 

 such dreadful fear of the huge beasts that, after 

 getting nearly caught by one, and never being able 

 to kill any, he begged his master to let him remain 

 at the waggons. When I knew him this fear must 

 have long worn off, and I have never since seen his 

 equal as a foot hunter. 



We now went back to look at the cow I had shot 

 with my second bullet, and were disgusted to find 

 nothing of her but a piece of the tusk broken off in 



