ELEPHANTS IN THE JUNGLE. 241 



whispered " Jovo !" in" my ear ; though I had already 

 made that discovery myself. Jumping up, and thus 

 frightening away the waterbuck, I made tracks in the 

 direction the noise had come from. I soon heard it 

 repeated, and in a few minutes I had the satisfaction 

 to see two elephants, evidently bulls, feeding among, 

 some thick underwood in the forest. I was obliged 

 to approach them in rear on account of the wind, and 

 thus got within fifteen yards of the hindmost without 

 being observed. Gumtickler in hand, I moved out 

 a little to my right, in order to get the angle for the 

 shot behind the ear, but while doing so I cracked 

 a twig, and the monster turned round, having heard 

 the noise. I took him in the right temple as he 

 turned, and killed him dead. The other elephant 

 bolted a few yards, and then pulled up, as if looking 

 for his companion. Having perceived that he had a 

 fine pair of tusks, and being determined to have him, 

 I went down on my hands and knees, and accompa- 

 nied by Moloka, made cautious tracks towards him. 

 Hearing a rush close at hand, I jumped to my feet, 

 and saAV the animal making off across me. Know- 

 ino" that he was too far for a successful head shot 

 (he then being about thirty yards off), I fired both 

 barrels at him just behind the shoulder, the last mak- 

 ing him roar. Having quickly re-loaded, I again fol- 

 lowed up the spoor, and after half an hour's hard 

 walking, heard him smashing boughs in a bit of very 

 thick jungle, and not far ahead of me. There were 

 no stout forest trees here, and I must confess I did not 

 quite like the idea of following him into his present 

 retreat, knowing that he was badly wounded. 



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