82 A HUNTER'S WANDERINGS ch. 



little more open presently. At last, having crossed 

 the bottom ot the kloof, he either heard something 

 or got a whiff of tainted air, and turning suddenly 

 round, with his huge ears extended, his trunk stretched 

 straight out, and his wicked, vicious-looking eyes 

 gazing in our direction, stood ready to charge, no 

 doubt, if he could but ascertain our exact where- 

 abouts. But small time was allowed him for con- 

 sideration, for to get the gun. to my shoulder and 

 plant a bullet in his exposed chest was the work of 

 but {qw seconds. On receiving the ball he fell on 

 his knees, but recovering, picked himself slowly up, 

 turned, and resumed his retreat, but now only at a 

 slow walk. 



At this instant, glancing to the right, I perceived 

 four more elephants coming down the side of the 

 hill a little on ahead (my boy Minyama afterwards 

 claimed to have headed these and turned them back 

 towards the bottom of the valley) ; so, believing that 

 the one to which I had been paying attention was all 

 but done for, and wishing to secure another if 

 possible, I sent my second gun-carrier and two more 

 boys after him, telling them to finish him, or at any 

 rate keep him in sight, and then ran to intercept the 

 other four. I was just in time, and as they passed 

 in front of me, at not more than forty yards' distance, 

 in single file, I gave the last one (he having the finest 

 ivory) a shot in the middle of the shoulder, but a few 

 inches too high ; however, it slackened his speed 

 considerably, and he left the others. Quickly reload- 

 ing, I foUov^'ed, and getting to where the bush was a 

 little more open, shouted behind him, " Hi there ! 

 Woho, old man ! " and, fatal curiosity, or perhaps a 

 wish for vengeance, inducing him to turn, planted 

 another four-ounce ball in his chest. He wheeled 



