61 WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WAYS CHAP. 



bright moonlight, and the elephant fell stone dead without the 

 slightest struggle. 



After sonic delay from the dispersion of my men who carried 

 spare guns, I re-loaded, and followed in the direction which the 

 herd had taken. 



Although upon the <jui vice, they had not retreated far, as they 

 were unaccustomed to guns, and they were determined to enjoy 

 their supper after the long march of 20 miles to the attractive 

 dhurra fields. I came up with them about three-quarters of a 

 mile from the first shot ; here there was the limit of cultivation, 

 and all was wild prairie land ; they had retreated by the way they 

 had arrived, with the intention, no doubt, of returning again to 

 the dhurra when the disturbing cause should have disappeared. I 

 could see the herd distinctly as they stood in a compact body 

 numbering some ten or twelve animals. The only chance was to 

 run straight at them in order to get as near as possible before they 

 should start, as I expected they would, in panic. Accordingly I 

 ran forward, when, to my surprise, two elephants rushed towards 

 me, and I was obliged to fire right and left. One fell to the 

 ground for a moment, but recovered ; the other made no sign, 

 except by whirling round and joining the herd in full retreat. 



That night I used a double- barrel muzzle-loader (No. 10), with 

 conical bullet made of 12 parts lead, 1 part quicksilver, 7 drams 

 of powder. 



Some days later we heard native reports concerning an elephant 

 that had been seen badly wounded, and very lame. 



Forty-two days after this incident I had moved camp to a place 

 called Geera, 22 miles distant. It was a wild uninhabited district 

 at that time on the banks of the Settite river, with the most 

 impervious jungle of hooked thorns, called by the Arabs " kittul." 

 This tree does not grow higher than 25 feet, but it spreads 

 to a very wide flat-topped head, the branches are thick, the wood 

 immensely strong and hard, while the thorns resemble fi.sh-hooks 

 minus the barb. This impenetrable asylum was the loved resort 

 of elephants, and it was from this particular station that they made 

 their nocturnal raids upon the cultivated district more than 20 

 miles distant in a direct line. 



We slept out that night upon the sandy bed of a small stream, 

 which at that season of great heat had evaporated. Upon waking 

 on the following morning we found the blankets wet through with 

 the heavy dew, and the pillows soaking. Having arranged the camp, 

 I left Lady I'.aker to give the necessary orders, while I took my rifles 

 and a few trood men for a reconnaissance of the neighbourhood. 



