Hunting in East Africa 



bush. Not twenty feet away was a sight which 

 made me share the feeHngs of my gun-bearer. 

 The elephant was the picture of rage; his fore- 

 legs stretched out in front of him, his trunk 

 curled high in the air, and his ears lying back 

 along his neck. I seized my 8-bore and took 

 aim at his foreward knee, but before I could 

 fire, he was at us. I jumped to one side and 

 gave him a two-ounce ball in the shoulder, 

 which apparently decided him on retreat. The 

 bush was so thick that in a moment he was out 

 of sight. I followed him for some time, but 

 saw no more of him. His trail mingled with 

 that of a large herd, which, after remaining to- 

 gether for some time, apparently separated in 

 several directions. The day was blazing hot, 

 and I was in the midst of a pathless bush, far 

 away from my twenty men. 



By 2 p. M., I had come up with them again 

 and turned my face toward camp. On the way 

 thither, I killed two zebras, a waterbuck and a 

 Thomsonii. By the time the meat was cut up 

 and packed on my men's heads the sun had set. 

 The moon was magnificently bright and served 

 to light our road. For one mile our way led 

 across a perfectly level plain. This plain was 

 covered with a kind of salt as white as snow, 



45 



