248 AFRICAN ADVENTURE STORIES 



overlooking the country. The old elephant was 

 prowling along the top of the bluff, but just then 

 she turned and, shuffling over to the prostrate 

 tree, began breaking off the branches with her 

 trunk. I watched anxiously to see if she would 

 find the gun bearer, although I felt quite certain 

 that if he had not been injured he must have 

 taken advantage of his opportunity to make his 

 escape to a more secure hiding-place. 



"After she had nearly stripped the tree of its 

 branches and scattered them over the ground, 

 she put her head against the trunk and pushed 

 it aside. But Kongoni was not there. The 

 little toto, in the meantime, was running about 

 shaking his head and squealing. 



"Unable to find her enemies, the great brute, 

 after again looking the ground over carefully, 

 sauntered off into the bush, her little one follow- 

 ing by her side. 



"Suddenly Kongoni's head appeared above a 

 clump of bushes. He hustled up to the scene 

 of the conflict, secured both of my rifles, and 

 came running toward the spot where I had dis- 

 appeared over the bank. Before he arrived, 

 however, I diverted his course by shouting, and 

 as I descended the tree he came up. 



