96 A HUNTER'S WANDERINGS ch. 



soon reached our nearest prize, and, leaving half the 

 Kafirs here, I told them to be quick and chop out 

 the tusks and satisfy their hunger, and then come 

 on to me and the rest of the boys at the other 

 elephant. 



On reaching the carcase of the latter, I found he 

 had incieed a splendid pair of tusks — the upper one, 

 as he lay on his side, protruding 4 feet beyond the 

 lip, measuring (after being chopped out) 6^ feet in 

 length, and weighing 84 Ibs.,^ the lower tusk being 

 almost exactly similar, but weighing 2 lbs. less ; the 

 other had also a very fine pair of tusks, weighing 59 

 lbs. each ; and after I had put a few square inches of 

 elephant's heart out of sight (1 am afraid to say how 

 many), I felt at peace with all mankind, and well 

 repaid for all the little inconveniences I had gone 

 through on the previous day. 



In about an hour and a half the boys came up 

 with the first pair of tusks, and as much fat and 

 meat as they could carry. As our two were also 

 ready, we soon had the meat tied up, and, after 

 telling off" two boys to carry each of the big tusks by 

 turns, once more turned our faces homewards, strik- 

 ing a bee-line straight across country. On our way 

 we came across a great deal of game, including 

 several rhinoceroses, both of the black and white 

 species, two large herds of buffalo, and many zebras, 

 impalas, wild pigs, etc.; we saw, however, no fresh 

 elephant spoor. 



At length, just at sundown, we reached the large 

 drinking-place near our skerm, and while walking 

 along the path leading from it to our camp, met two 

 black rhinoceroses, which, however, luckily for them- 

 selves I think (for I had my old elephant gun in my 



^ These tusks afterwards lost lo lbs. cacli in weight in dryiiiij out. 



