CHAP. iv. ELEPHANT. 207 



became concealed by the intervening branches I stole 

 after it again, in a state of nervous excitement lest any of 

 the other hunters should fire in the meantime and spoil 

 my shot. I had only taken a few steps, with my eyes 

 fixed on the spot where I had last seen it, when that 

 curious rumble sounded again, seemingly right over my 

 head, and looking sharply round, as I started nervously, 

 I saw one that I had overlooked standing partially con- 

 cealed in the bushes not many yards off, its trunk coiled 

 round the branches of a tree which it had uprooted, and 

 was now feeding on, and as far as I could make out, its 

 tusks seemed so small that had I seen my way out of it, 

 I would gladly have let it alone ; but I was equally afraid 

 to move forward or back lest it should hear me, and 

 seeing no other alternative, I raised my gun, and waiting 

 till a flap of the ear enabled me to see the exact spot, I 

 pulled the trigger and rushed right in behind it, almost 

 touching its hind-legs as I passed, and jumping into a 

 mass of cactus, despite the pain, I crouched down. 



The shot, followed, as it was, by two more from the 

 others, seemed to awake the whole forest ; elephants were 

 trumpeting in every direction, their position being indi- 

 cated by the chattering monkeys, while I could hear the 

 one which I had been following at first crashing down 

 towards me, and in another second saw it, evidently 

 trying to get the wind and puzzled at the noise. It was 

 a cow with moderate tusks, and as she stood about ten 

 yards off swaying her trunk about I fired at her shoulder, 

 making her scream and dash through the jungle, breaking 

 everything before her. 



The herd seemed fairly roused, and were angrily tmm- 



