HUNTING ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 277 



Presently, on reconnoitring the surrounding country, I dis- 

 covered a second herd, consisting of five bull elephants, which 

 were quietly feeding about a mile to the northward. The 

 cows were feeding towards a rocky ridge that stretched away 

 from the base of the hillock on which I stood. Burning with 

 impatience to commence the attack, I resolved to try the 

 stalking system with these, and to hunt the troop of bulls 

 with dogs and horses. Having thus decided, I directed the 

 guides to watch the elephants from the summit of the hillock, 

 and with a beating heart I approached them. The ground 

 and wind favoring me, I soon gained the rocky ridge towards 

 which they were feeding. They were now within one hun- 

 dred yards, and I resolved to enjoy the pleasure of their 

 movements for a while before I fired. They continued to 

 feed slowly before me, breaking the branches from the trees 

 with their trunks, and eating the leaves and tender shoots. 

 I soon selected the finest in the herd, and kept my eye on 

 her in particular. At length two of the troop had walked 

 slowly past at about sixty yards, and the one which I had 

 selected was feeding with two others on a thorny tree in front 

 of me. 



My arm was now as steady as the rock on which it rested, 

 so taking a deliberate aim, I let fly at her behind the eye. 

 She got it hard and sharp just where I aimed, but it did not 

 seem to affect her much. Uttering a loud cry, she wheeled 

 about, when I gave her the second ball, close behind the 

 shoulder. All the elephants uttered a strange rumbling 

 noise, and made off in a line to the northward at a brisk 

 ambling pace, their huge fan-like ears flapping in the ratio 

 of their speed. I did not wait to load, but ran back to the 

 hillock to obtain a view. On gaining its summit, the guides 

 pointed out the elephants ; they were standing in a grove of 

 shady trees, but the wounded one was some distance behind 

 with another elephant, doubtless its particular friend, who 

 was endeavoring to assist it. 



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