HERD OF BULL ELEPHANTS 79 



Wait-a-bit cover, where we discovered our friend hiding 

 himself within twenty yards of us. He took away at 

 once through the thickest of the cover, and on my ap- 

 proaching for a shot he made the most terrific charge 

 after me, sending kirge thorny trees flying like grass 

 before him. When he halted after this charge, I sent 

 a ball through his ribs, and he then made clean away, 

 and got into better country. Here I fought with him 

 for about an hour, and gave him sixteen shots from the 

 saddle. My horse was extremely troublesome, and in- 

 variably destroyed the correctness of my aim ; the ele- 

 phant was fierce and active, and made repeated charges 

 with very destructive intentions ; at length he turned 

 and regained the dense thorny cover, in which I lost 

 him. 



Oti the morning of June 1st, before the sun rose, 

 ISIolIyeon and I walked to the fountain to see if ele- 

 phants had drunk. Ten bull elephants had been there, 

 and had all gone off together, holding a .southeasterly 

 course; this was glorious. I started on the spoor with 

 five natives, and Kleinfeldt as after-rider on Dread- 

 naught. I took eight of my dogs, all led in strings, 

 and rode Schwartland, my best shooting-horse. After 

 following the spoor for about five miles, we found our- 

 selves to leeward of the elephant I had shot on Satur- 

 day, and here the elephants had smelled the blood, 

 and started off in great fear, going clean away through 

 open country, steering one point west of south. They 

 got into an old elephant foot-path, and held steadily on 

 for many miles, not halting to break one branch or to 

 })low the ground. The leading native said he did not 

 expect to see them, and I was certainly of the same 

 opinion. At length they got into a thickly-wooded 

 part of the country, and although they were still hold- 



