2o8 A HUNTER'S WANDERINGS ch. 



Hartebeest. Directly afterwards I saw three, a little 

 to my right, coming back towards me, and stood fast, 

 hoping to get a good chance as they passed. There 

 were two young bulls in front, followed by an old one. 

 The first two went by ; but the old fellow, either 

 catching a glimpse of me, or more probably getting a 

 whiff of my wind, spun round, raised his huge ears, 

 and at once charged, but without screaming. I was 

 ready, and put a ball into his chest below his raised 

 trunk, which brought him to his knees ; he was up 

 again in no time, and, turning, broke back into a 

 terribly thick piece of jungle. However, I stuck 

 close to him, and after a quarter of an hour's dodging, 

 during which time I gave him two more bullets, he at 

 last lurched forwards on to his head, and then rolled 

 over sideways, stone dead. On cutting him up 

 afterwards, we found that two out of the three bullets 

 fired at him had passed through the top of his heart ! 

 I now plunged into the bush again, to look for the 

 blood spoor of the others I had wounded, but had not 

 gone far when I perceived a young bull with nice 

 white tusks coming along with his ears raised, and 

 turning his head from side to side. Taking up a 

 handful of sand to see which way the wind was, I 

 placed myself so that he would pass close by without 

 scenting me. As he walked past he offered a splendid 

 shot, and, taking him just behind the shoulder, I 

 pulled the trigger ; but the report was merely the puff 

 of the powder alone, my gun-carrier in the hurry 

 having put in no bullet. Imagine my disgust ! The 

 elephant hearing the cap snap, at once rushed forwards, 

 and v/e followed at our best pace on the spoor. 

 When within ten yards of a patch of high, dense 

 jungle. Hellhound turned with horror-struck look, 

 saying, "Ee-aisa, soree ! " (He's coming this way. 



