THE ELEPHANT, THE GIANT OF THE FOREST 



herd has been disturbed, and is moving along quickly, 

 without stopping to eat or rest. The hunter should now 

 be looking around very carefully, as he hastens along on 

 this "" road," to find the track of the old tusker, hoping 

 that he has left the herd again, as very often happens. 

 But all in vain ! The pursuit may have to be given up, and 

 the party returns to camp, downhearted and discouraged. 

 The above had been my experience in 1909, when, on 

 one dreary return march to the camp, having forgotten 

 to take an emergency tent with us, one of the native track- 

 ers suddenly stopped and whistled faintly. Looking in his 

 direction, I saw him nod to us to come on quickly. Before 

 we reached him, however, we heard the cracking of the 

 trees all around, and now only about eighty or ninety yards 

 off we saw a little herd of twelve to fifteen elephants, big 

 and small, but mostly females with their " babies," without 

 a single big tusker. As the wind was blowing steadily 

 from them to us, we noticed their very strong, peculiar 

 smell, while they themselves were unable to scent us. 

 After all our men had gathered, we told them to lie down 

 and be absolutely quiet while I, with one gun bearer and 

 the man carrying the camera, sneaked forward to try to 

 secure at least some photographs of the herd at close 

 quarters. As yet, we were altogether unobserved by the 

 herd. Some of the " youngsters " ran playfully about, 

 while others were eating the leaves from a tree, which one 

 of the adult elephants had broken down for that purpose. 

 One very small calf stood between his mother's hind legs, 

 probably getting his meal of fresh milk, although from 

 where we stood it was impossible to see the little fellow's 

 head. 



59 



