ELEPHANT FRIENDS AND FOES 32 
they got our wind and recognized us as enemies, they 
were able to see us at a distance of 250 yards, and 
charge us. 
But however good the elephant’s sight, it is noth- 
ing in comparison with his smelling ability. An ele- 
phant’s trunk is probably the best smelling apparatus 
in the world, and he depends on his sense of smell 
more than on any other sense. When he is at all 
suspicious he moves his trunk around in every direc- 
_ tion so that he catches the slightest taint in the air, 
from whichever way it comes. I have often seen ele- 
phants, when disturbed, with their trunks high in air 
reaching all around for my wind. I likewise, on one 
occasion, had an intimate view of a very quiet smell- 
ing operation by which an old cow escaped me. I 
was on an elephant path one day on Mt. Kenia look- 
ing for an elephant I had heard, when my gun-bearer 
gripped my shoulder and pointed into the forest. I 
looked and looked but could see nothing but the trees. 
Finally I noticed that one of the trees diminished in 
size toward the ground and I recognized an elephant’s 
trunk. My eyes followed it down. At the very tip 
it was curled back, and this curled-back part, with 
the nostrils distended, was moving slowly from side 
to side quietly fishing for my wind. She was waiting 
concealed beside the trail to pick me up as I came 
along. She was no more than forty feet away, but 
when she decided to give up and moved away, I could 
not hear her going although it was a dense forest 
and she was accompanied by two youngsters. Very 
often in the forest where there is very little air stirring 
