128 A HUNTER'S WANDERINGS ch. 



sharp screams of rage. His shoulder being broken, 

 however, he was unable to charge, and upon receiv- 

 ing three more bullets fell to the earth dead. This 

 was my first elephant this year. When at length we 

 all met again, I found that my companions had killed 

 two more, both young bulls about the same size 

 as mine, and the six tusks averaged about 20 lbs. 

 apiece. Besides those killed, Wood had wounded a 

 full-grown bull with fine tusks, but eventually lost 

 him owing to the thickness of the bush. 



As soon as our Kafirs had once more all assembled 

 at the spot where the blankets and other baggage 

 had been left, we despatched them in three parties to 

 chop out the tusks, whilst we ourselves set to work 

 to prepare a breakfast, for which the cool morning 

 air and the excitement of the hunt had given us a 

 keen appetite, and after having very leisurely discussed 

 an ample and substantial meal, of which some slices 

 of fried heart, fresh from one of the newly-slain 

 elephants, formed a not unimportant feature, we 

 proceeded (guided by the loud cries and diabolical 

 singing of the Kafirs) to inspect the nearest of our 

 three prizes, which was not more than 300 yards 

 distant. 



The huge carcase, or rather what remained of it, 

 lay on one side, as it had fallen, with the legs extended. 

 Behind the ribs and just over the belly the Kafirs 

 had peeled off a large slab of skin, about three feet 

 square, and through the trap -door thus formed 

 dragged out the stomach and intestines ; they had 

 also cut out the heart, liver, and hings, so that 

 what was left was merely a hollow shell, in the lower 

 half of which the blood had formed a pool a foot 

 deep. Into this cavity they and the Bushmen now 

 kept entering by twos, disappearing entirely from 



