TREED BY AN ELEPHANT 235 



camp for the night, intending to take up the 

 fresh tracks in the morning should the animals 

 return that night. 



"It must have been some time past midnight 

 when my gun bearer awakened me to say that 

 he heard the elephants coming. I, too, could 

 catch the faint sound of trumpeting, and as 

 time passed the trumpeting became louder and 

 more frequent, and finally we could hear the 

 animals bellowing. For over two hours the 

 noise continued and then gradually grew fainter 

 and fainter as the herd moved back into the 

 bush-veldt. 



"We were up before the sun and after a 

 hearty breakfast, for we knew not when we 

 would get another square meal, hurried off to 

 the watering-place. 



"A faint glow in the east showed that the day 

 was dawning, and when it became light enough 

 to see clearly, we picked up the trail. It was 

 evidently an enormous herd, but the ground 

 was pounded so hard by its previous visits that 

 for the time we could gain no correct idea of its 

 true size. Kongoni said that there were a hun- 

 dred; one of my trackers doubled the number, 

 and I felt sure that he was nearer right. 



