CH. xiii] ELEPHANTS 379 



with numerous patches of jungle and small forest. In 

 a few minutes we heard the elephants, four or fiv'e of 

 them, feeding in thick jungle, where the vines that hung 

 in tangled masses from the trees, and that draped the 

 bushes, made dark caves of greenery. It was difficult 

 to find any space clear enough to see thirty yards ahead. 

 Fortunately there was no wind whatever. Wx^ picked 

 out the spoor of a big bull, and for an hour and a half 

 we followed it, Kongoni usually in the lead. Two or 

 three times, as we threaded our way among the bushes 

 as noiselessly as possible, we caught glimpses of grey, 

 shadowy bulks, but only for a second at a time, and 

 never with sufficient distinctness to shoot. The elephants 

 were feeding, tearing down tlie branches of a rather 

 large-leafed tree with bark like that of a scrub oak and 

 big pods containing beans ; evidently these beans were 

 a favourite food. They fed in circles and zigzags, but 

 toward camp, until they w^ere not much more than half 

 a mile from it, and the noise made by the porters in 

 talking and gathering w^ood was plainly audible ; but 

 the elephants paid no heed to it, being evidently too 

 much accustomed to the natives to have much fear of 

 man. We continually heard them breaking branches, 

 and making rumbling or squeaking sounds. Tliey then 

 fed slowly along in the opposite direction, and got into 

 rather more open country ; and we followed faster in 

 the big footprints of the bull w^e had selected. Suddenly, 

 in an open glade, Kongoni crouched and beckoned to 

 me, and through a bush I caught a glimpse of the tusker. 

 But at that instant he either heard us, saw us, or caught 

 a whiffi of our wind, and without a moment's hesitation 

 he himself assumed the offensive. ^Vith his huge ears 

 cocked at right angles to his head, and his trunk hanging 

 down, he charged full tilt at us, coming steadily, silently, 



