186 



LAEGE GAME. 



CHAP. IV. 



ground in the direction from which it seemed to come, I 

 could distinguish the loom of something so large that it 

 could only be an elephant passing along the edge of the 

 open. It was not it, however, which I had heard, but its 

 companions which were out of sight, and which I could still 

 hear crashing through the reeds. I watched it for several 

 minutes as it moved slowly forward, by which time it was 

 opposite to and nearly directly to leeward of me, when 

 suddenly one of those beyond trumpeted shrilly, and the 

 whole herd broke out and came towards me. They had 

 got my wind. Luckily, however, they did not keep 

 straight below me, but a little on one side, and one huge 

 animal, which, as I could not see those appendages, was 

 probably a tuskless cow, came and stood within ten yards 

 of me, its great ears standing out like sails, and its trunk 

 raised to catch any taint in the wind. I hesitated a 

 moment about firing, and then, the temptation overcoming 

 my prudence, I covered the shoulder, as it was too dark 

 to make sure of the ear, and pulled the trigger, producing 

 a headlong charge and a deafening trumpeting that at one 

 time seemed to be right overhead. I had sprung away to 

 leeward as I fired, while the elephants charged upwind, so 

 that, except for the second when the cow charged the 

 smoke, I was never in any danger, but fearing lest they 

 should turn and catch me in the open, I crawled vigorously 

 away till I reached the edge of the reeds, and then 

 ensconced myself in the thickest patch I could find. 



That they were a vicious lot was evident from the way 

 they quartered the ground to windward in search of me, 

 screaming loudly with rage, but luckily they kept in that 

 direction, and, though one did come down to where they 



