212 LARGE GAME. CHAP. iv. 



and charged so viciously and pertinaciously, that it was 

 only by leaving our former tracks, and striking out an 

 entirely new line across the bush, that I succeeded in 

 throwing them off. As soon as I could see the light on the 

 outside, I thought I would not, if possible, go out with a 

 loaded gun, and as I could hear the elephants breaking 

 close by, I got behind a bush and waited. 



Nothing came for some time, but at last I saw one 

 down a glade about thirty yards off, crossing on its way 

 back, and I instantly fired, and rushed out into the open 

 down the bank and through the long grass until I 

 reached the shelter of a great fig-tree. Then, on turn- 

 ing, I saw that the brute had followed me out, and had 

 just wheeled and was making for the cover, and I had 

 time to fire at it again, though I fancy that I must have 

 missed, as it took no notice of it. Before long the others 

 made their appearance from the different spots at which 

 they had emerged, and as it was evident that we could at 

 present make nothing of the herd, we decided to go and 

 finish off the broken-legged cow, which was accordingly 

 done, and then, after partially breaking it up and obtaining 

 sufficient meat for our temporary wants, we went to our 

 old camp and slept there. 



At least five of the elephants were wounded, and some 

 of them severely ; one in particular, besides my cow, 

 having fallen to the last shots. At daylight, therefore, 

 we got upon their spoor, and found, as we had expected, 

 that they had taken advantage of the darkness to shift 

 their quarters, and from the blood-tracks we saw that 

 the wounded had kept with them. I was not very .well 

 that morning, and went back up the mountain when 



