ATTACK POSTPONED. 317 



I had soon fallen into a deep but perturbed 

 slumber, my fancy busily depicting the scene of 

 my day's adventure, and wildly shaping the chances 

 of better success on the morrow, when, about 

 midnight, I was startled by the cry " Sir sir, two 

 elephants are passing us on yonder bank." To 

 spring to my feet and to seize the rifle was the 

 work of an instant ; and as soon as my eyes had 

 become sufficiently clear of their sleepy film, I 

 perceived, at no great distance, not only two, but 

 three elephants, which, from their towering frames, 

 I at once concluded to be males. They were 

 marching with a steady but quick step ; and, sup- 

 posing they were about to quench their thirst at 

 some rain-pools hard by, I hastened to intercept 

 them. It soon became evident, however, that they 

 had taken the alarm, and being afraid that, were I 

 now to follow them, they might soon be alto- 

 gether lost to view in the dimness of a starlit 

 night, I deemed it best to postpone the attack 

 until dawn. Halting thereupon, I said to IVrcira, 

 who was following me with a spare rifle, " Xo, 

 don't let us disturb them now ; to-morrow morn- 

 ing, at break of day, we will take up their spoor." 



The arrow which entered the flesh of (lie arm WHS rut out, but, (ho 

 other, which entered the breast, and appeared to havo passed round 

 the bladebonc, could not be, extracted, lie was carried on a rude 

 stretcher, hurriedly made for the purpose, to his " veldt-home," where 

 he lingered in great ngonv for five days. " The Bushmen's poison," 

 the narrator of poor Percira's death goes on to say, " is usually very 

 fatal in its effects; but in this instance it had evidently become weak 

 either from exposure or age. Otherwise, he would not have survived 

 the fatal shafts for more than a few hours." The Editor. 



