./MY FIRST ELEPHANT AND ANOTHER.---- 41 



I then retired to my tent and slept until morning. Getting breakfast early, 1 was 

 off at sunrise, and we went to the side of the village where the elephants had gone 

 the night before. We soon got on their spoor, but none were very large; so we made 

 a round of a big maize garden and found the spoor of a fine bull. • .- 



He had gone off by himself, so I could not wish for anything better, for it is 

 always preferable to follow a single beast than a herd. It was evident he was a very 

 big animal, for branches were torn off the trees higher than I had before seen or 

 have seen since. The villagers seemed to know this elephant, and they told me he 

 was ncuru nditu (very large). 



We followed behind him for close on two hours and found he had been feeding 

 along in a leisurely manner, often having stopped at favourite spots. Walking 

 steadily along we at last heard his internal rumbles. I am not quite sure whether 

 this rumbling sound comes from the bowels or whether the animal does it with his 

 trunk, but he does it, and it will often be the first sign or intimation that the beast 

 is near. 



Testing the wind with sand, I went towards the sound accompanied by my gun- 

 bearer, who was carrying a second "303. We soon saw him standing in an open 

 space, and he was busy dusting himself with sand which he sucked from the ground 

 and then blew over his back. As he brought his head down I fired a facing shot. 

 The moment the bullet struck him he started to make in our direction. The men 

 I had left about eighty yards behind saw him coming and began to run. This was 

 rather lucky, for he sheered slightly, and as he passed me like an engine run loose, he 

 got two more bullets, which I found afterwards struck him in the gullet and the 

 shoulder. 



Loading up the magazine, I was just starting after him when I heard a man 

 scream, accompanied by the trumpeting and stamping of the elephant, and I felt 

 certain that one of my men was being obliterated. The gun-bearer and myself ran 

 in the direction of the sound, and soon saw the elephant, which was still screaming 

 and lifting his front feet off the ground, just as if he was trying to kill something. 

 I was breathless with running, but began to fire bullets into the monster's head, and 

 was very pleased to see him topple over, but kept in a kneeling position by a tree 

 which he fell against. I now called the men, and they arrived in a short time, most 

 of them looking rather scared. 



I now asked who screamed, for I noticed they were all present. Mponda told 

 me he was the man, and said that the elephant had knocked him down ; and he 

 showed me a graze on his leg, which he might have done by hitting a stump. I 

 believe the elephant did go close to him, for it ran right into the thick of the men. 



G 



