34 THE FOREST AND THE FIELD. 



two spare guns to Googooloo, I bade all the rest 

 climb into high trees, from whence they could see 

 the sport without danger. 



This matter arranged, I tried the wind by a 

 feather, which, when after elephants I generally 

 kept pinned by a bit of fine silk to my hunting, 

 cap, but as circumstances turned out, this pre- 

 caution was hardly required. I now put fresh caps 

 upon my guns, taking care to see that the powder 

 was well up in the nipple, reconnoitred the ground 

 carefully, and made a half-circuit of the marsh, in 

 order to get behind the cover of a patch of high 

 reeds which appeared about seventy yards distant 

 from the spot where the elephant was standing. 

 We both kept well under cover, making as little 

 noise as possible, and approached up ivind ; but 

 the keen-scented animal, although he had his back 

 turned towards us, perceived the taint in the air 

 when we were three hundred yards distant, and 

 with a hoarse scream of rage came rushing, tail on 

 end, in our direction, flourishing his trunk about 

 and sniffing the Avind. Luckily, the loud splashing 

 of his great feet betrayed his movements, for we 



