THE REDISCOVERED COUNTRY 307 



be able to determine the fact that he is there at all. 

 His great weight and the size of his foot breaks in- 

 stantaneously anything beneath them and crushes the 

 sound; his vast bulk and length and the soft leathery 

 quality of his skin probably push aside gently and 

 muffle the harshness of the branches. However it is, 

 only twice did we hear the faintest indication that the 

 elephant was still moving; and we ourselves, as I have 

 said, were having the greatest trouble to work our way 

 along at all. The whiplike branches of the thicket 

 sprang back after the beast, leaving the screen as re- 

 sistant as ever. Also we could not see ten feet. 



The trail led us straight ahead, then doubled back at 

 a sharp angle, so that at one time the elephant must 

 have been passing us a short distance to the right. We 

 crept on for perhaps a quarter of a mile, expecting every 

 moment we might run against his hind leg. Then 

 through a chance opening just ahead we saw the wav- 

 ing of his ears. So close was he that we were looking 

 up at him as one looks up at a skyscraper. I held for 

 his brain and pulled trigger. Down he came with a 

 tremendous crash. The distance was just twelve 

 paces. 



After waiting to see that he was not going to move we 

 lifted our voices in a cheer that was immediately 

 answered by the Wanderobo, who had been following 

 a short distance behind. They came up, and, shortly 

 after, our men. We got out the little flask, and, stand- 



