ELEPHANTS 



of scent is keen, and the wind must be carefully noted 

 when making your approach. He is usually a nocturnal 

 feeder and traveller, though I have several times found 

 elephants out in the wilas feeding and bathing as late 

 as 7 A.M., and have, in remote " parks," found them out 

 in the open, still on the feed, as late as 9 A.M. 



They usually, however, take to cover at dawn, moving 

 slowly along in the forest feeding leisurely until about 

 9 or 10 o'clock, after which they lie up until about 4 or 5 

 o'clock P.M., when they get on the move again. Elephants 

 should not be approached, if it can be avoided, in thick 

 scrub, thorny thickets, or very thin small bush, as the risk 

 is too great, because if your first shot fails to kill and 

 the elephant turns on you as it may at times, or tries 

 to run blindly over the danger as occasionally happens, 

 you will be in poor case if your second barrel also fails 

 to stop it, having no means of escape. In heavy forest 

 there is small risk, as even a charging elephant is easily 

 avoided by merely stepping behind a tree, even if no 

 thicker than your thigh, and keeping perfectly still, but 

 don't try any fool-tricks such as trying to shin up a tree 

 about as thick as your arm, or indeed any tree you are 

 much safer on the ground. 



If you are new to the game you had better tackle 

 your first elephant with a friend who you know will stand 

 by you, or who " knows the ropes." If you are by your- 

 self you will have to rely on yourself, for let me assure 

 you, except in rare instances, you will have no spare gun 

 to fall back 'upon, as your " tracker " is almost certain 

 to blaze off both barrels of your " stand-by " the moment 

 you have fired. 



He won't run away no fear of that, as he is too well 

 used to elephants, but he gets excited and blazes off 



93 



