204 THE LAND OF THE LIGN 
next they swayed backward. We reloaded fast as we could, 
and I fired again at the second bull, and it was, I think, well 
that we did so, for this seemed to decide them and they 
rushed off. 
We ran after, fast as the high tangle allowed us, and in 
five hundred yards came on them again, all standing head- 
ing our way. ‘These elephants had probably never heard a 
gun, and this would account for their standing as they did 
after our shooting. But by now they were very watchful, 
evidently trying hard to make us out and get our wind. 
But the merciful breeze kept steady. We drew up as close as 
we dared, not nearer than seventy or eighty yards this 
time, and tried to pick out the second wounded bull. But 
the cows covered him, and an adventurous young bull 
came forward by himself, evidently bent on mischief. He 
walked out of the herd, his trunk held high, and, looking 
very ugly indeed, sharper-eyed than the others, he must 
have been, for he came perfectly straight. We let him 
come as near as we dared, for I certainly didn’t want him, 
as his tusks were much smaller than the other two. No 
sign of turning about in him. He now saw us plainly, 
and was coming right into us when two bullets took him 
full in the heart and he fell in his tracks. At his fall there 
was more rushing hither and thither of the bewildered and 
angered herd, and both H. and I began to wish we were in 
sparsely wooded country, and not on a shelterless plain. 
Nothing could be done, absolutely nothing but to be still 
and let them quiet down, then follow up our wounded bull. 
As we anxiously waited, he came out our way slowly head- 
ing to our right — a very big fellow, with good ivory on one 
side, and on the other a stumpy, heavy tusk broken off. 
Again as crawled as near asI dared, and saw close above me 
his great black side, I could not help thinking what a game 
of bluff it was, but he offered me a fine broadside, and 
crashed down to the shot. 
