46 HUNTING TRIPS IN NORTHERN RHODESIA. 



have become conscious of something being wrong, for he turned his head backwards, 

 but without changing the position of his body. His tusks were not very large, but I 

 thought I had better shoot him ; so I aimed for the orifice of his ear, and he fell at 

 once. On this occasion I had a big double lo-bore Purdey rifle as a second gun, so 

 I grabbed it and fired at the big one. Both bullets told loudly on his hide somewhere 

 near the shoulder, for I saw the dust fly. He did not seem to mind it, however, and 

 went on quite strong. On looking for the one I had knocked down, I saw his feet 

 waving above the grass as he lay struggling on his back. 



Going up close I gave him two more 303 bullets, which finished him, and then 

 took the spoor of the other ; but, although I followed it for a long way, I could not 

 come up to him. The one I shot had tusks weighing about 251b. each, but the tusks 

 of the wounded one must have been twice as heavy. I had not shot many elephants 

 then, and was too keen, and the proper plan would have been to have edged round 

 and got a shot at the big one. I find it is generally the biggest elephant in 

 a herd that gives the worst chance, and it is the greatest mistake to be in too 

 great a hurry to shoot ; although, when the wind is shifty, there is not much time 

 to waste. 



At the end of the dry season the wind is usually very changeable, especially in 

 the Luangwa valley, and these shifty winds have lost the hunter many good elephants. 

 It is a good thing to keep testing the wind with sand or dry, crushed grass. The 

 elephants often stand in the most unsuitable places for a good shot, and it was 

 so in this case, for I was in a sea of long grass, all tangled and matted underfoot. 

 Any trees that were about were only the smallest saplings, about 6in. in diameter. 

 In such a place the odds are greatly in favour of the elephants, if they are inclined to 

 be nasty ; but, luckily for the elephant hunter, the elephant is a timid beast, and 

 almost invariably bolts. There are exceptions, of course, and then one has to shoot 

 very straight indeed. 



Chikamagombe had proved very plucky, but the other men did not seem to like 

 it a bit. Their faces changed at once when they were allowed to cut off the trunk 

 and bring it to camp. I took a few photographs and cut off the tail, and came back 

 to the village where I was camped, shooting a nice puku ram on the way, which gave 

 me a long chase before I finally killed him. 



He had one of the best heads I got on this trip, the horns measuring i8in. on 

 the curve. I was still feeling weak from fever, but on the morning of the i6th I 

 went out to try my luck. We took a line almost due west, with the Muchinga 

 Mountains showing right ahead. This range stretches in an almost unbroken line 

 along the western side of the Luangwa. We had been plodding along for perhaps 



