204 EXPEDITION INTO [Chap. XXIII. 



Our approach being still against the wind was 

 unobserved, and created little alarm, until the herd 

 that we had left behind suddenly showed itself, 

 recklessly thundering down the side of the hill to 

 join the main body, and passing so close to us, that 

 we could not refrain from firing a broadside into 

 one of them, which however bravely withstood it. 

 We secured our horses on the summit of a stony 

 ridge, and then stationing ourselves at an opportune 

 place on a ledge overlooking the wooded defile, sent 

 Andries to manoeuvre so that as many of the ele- 

 phants as possible should pass before us in order of 

 review, that we might ascertain, by a close inspec- 

 tion, whether there was not a male amongst them. 

 Filing sluggishly along, they occasionally halted 

 beneath an umbrageous tree within fifteen yards of 

 us, lazily fanning themselves with their ample ears, 

 blowing away the flies with their trunks, and utter- 

 ing the feeble and peculiar cry so familiar tolndians. 

 They all proved to be ladies, and most of them 

 mothers,followedby their little old-fashioned calves, 

 each trudging close to the heels of her dam, and 

 mimicking all her actions. Thus situated we might 

 have killed any number we pleased, their heads 

 being frequently turned towards us in such a 

 position, and so close, that a single ball in the brain 

 would have sufficed for each ; but whilst we were 

 yet hesitating, a bullet suddenly whizzed past 

 Richardson's ear, and put the whole herd to im- 

 mediate flight. We had barely time to recede 

 behind a tree, before a party of about twenty, with 



