THE RAINY SEASON 



Two of the cows have no tusks ; the negroes sign to 

 me by nodding their heads and repeating the word 

 " Mariri " (chargers). That is the name they give 

 to tuskless females, which are reputed to be vicious. 

 I decide not to fire, for there is not among the party 

 a single beast with good tusks ; moreover, I am almost 

 certain to get the two pachyderms I wounded earlier 

 — a male and a female without tusks — and I am 

 authorised to shoot only a couple of elephants. 



We accordingly let the troop move on, and we 

 diverge to the right in order to avoid following the 

 same route. It is now night ; we gain the summit of 

 a low hill, when we hear in the valley at our feet the 

 elephants, which are breaking the branches and pluck- 

 ing the leaves as they feed. We sit down and hold 

 a council. The negroes are uneasy, for the wind is 

 constantly shifting, and if we are perceived we run 

 the risk of being charged by the females, which are 

 much bolder at night than in the daytime. Motionless 

 and anxious, forgetful of hunger and thirst, we await 

 events. Suddenly the sound of a " trumpet " bursts 

 on us, and an indescribable tumult follows. The 

 wind has changed, we are detected, and the whole 

 party has fled with the exception of one female, who 

 charges us. Imagine the situation ! Flight in the 

 darkness is impossible. If we climb a tree, there is 

 not one which can resist an elephant : it is better 

 to fight. I have quickly told the porters who 

 have rifles to hold them in readiness. We will fire 



(101) 



