248 STALKS ABROAD 



Through an occasional break in the tops of the 

 bamboos we could see grey trunks curving up above 

 the young shoots of bamboo, like huge sinuous snakes, 

 and then disappearing into the green sea below. A 

 Kikuyu shinned up a tree and made hasty signs that 

 he could see three elephants. 



I suggested a shot from the tree, feeling that 

 I should be a good deal happier there than behind 

 a clump of bamboos. 



"Can you kill one dead a hundred yards off?" 

 said Hassan. 



I expressed some doubt on the point, and on 

 we went. 



The bamboos were cracking and crashing all 

 around us. 



The Kikuyu, who was a little in front, turned 

 sharply, and dashed past us, nearly jobbing me in 

 the ribs with his big spear. He got up his tree again, 

 and chattered like a monkey. A crash and a heavy 

 tread followed his disappearance. Then dead silence. 



Hassan got behind a small shrub and I stood 

 beside him. Opposite us rose huge clumps of bam- 

 boos. In the centre of these was a small opening, 

 covering a dip in the ground. There came another 

 crash, and a huge bulk seemed suddenly to heave itself 

 out of the bowels of the earth and come towards us. 

 My recollections of the next few minutes are, as may 

 be imagined, somewhat confused. I knew the side 

 shot was no good, for he was directly facing me. 

 The soft, bulging top of the trunk above the eyes 



