A PERPLEXING TOSITION. T5 



but rapidly to their right flank, hoping that a shot 

 would not be fired till I had singled out my beast. 

 First I came across a cow, but her duffing little 

 tusks did not suit my cravings for big ivory, so I 

 passed her unseen ; then another cow, and, 

 thirdly, a tuskless cow, generally accredited the 

 most vicious and consequently dangerous of her 

 race, presented themselves, but they were quite 

 unaware of my presence, so I continued still taking 

 ground to the right. But my forbearance was 

 soon rewarded, for in front of me, and not over 

 forty yards distant, stood a fine bull, with tusks of 

 at least sixty pounds apiece, and such a lot of ivory 

 meant a lump of money, so I determined to possess 

 them. The poor beast was feeding daintily, that is, 

 it appeared to be fastidious in its taste, for many of 

 the boughs that it pulled down it afterwards rejected. 

 Between me and the game was a fallen tree, the 

 roots of which had torn up quite a wall of earth ; 

 could I but reach it, my shot would be fired within 

 twenty yards of the object of my aim. I resolved to 

 make a try for it. Jim, with my second gun, was at 

 my heels, and everything promised well. From the 

 shelter of one tree to that of another I successfully 

 glided without being observed. Then there was a 

 trifling gap ; this I covered without being observed, 

 and in front of me was the giant, but his position was 

 such that not a single vulnerable point was exposed. 

 For a couple of minutes at least I remained in this 



