ELEPHANTS AT CLOSE QUARTERS. 179 
the average temperature for the twenty-four hours being 
seventy-three degrees Fahrenheit. All the boys got rid of 
their fever in this healthy spot, and Dodson and I never 
felt better in our lives. There were many elephants, rhino- 
ceroses, and giraffes about, so that I managed to get consid- 
erable shooting. I followed the tracks of some elephants 
for a long time, and finally came upon them asleep under 
THREE OF THE AUTHOR’S BOYS CUTTING OUT TUSKS, 
some tall sycamores. Creeping quite close behind some 
bushes, I fired at one just behind the shoulder with my 
eight-bore, and was rejoiced to see him tumble over quite 
dead. As I fired, however, three elephants came directly 
toward the bush where I was concealed, trumpeting loudly. 
There was no way of escaping to another bush, so I 
remained perfectly quiet while the animals passed within 
a few feet of me. It was a most uncomfortable moment 
for me, as I could not tell whether the animals would 
come through the bush after me or not; but evidently they 
were not intending to charge, having chosen accidentally to 
