OUR UNFORTUNATE VICTIMS. 285 



so behind the shoulder-blade. Attempting to charge, 

 she fell upon her head, burying both tusks in the ground, 

 and died, game to the last with her front to the enemy. 

 The action was short, sharp, and decisive, I may say 

 brilliant, the only drawback being that both were 

 cows. 



I admit that shooting cow-elephants requires some 

 apology in my ardour I did not think of sex, and was 

 not aware that the animal I had killed was a female till 

 after its death ; in delivering the coup-de-chasse to the 

 last, it was so severely wounded before I came up that 

 it could not have survived. It certainly was an unlucky 

 entry into elephant-hunting in Africa to commence by 

 killing cows. 



Now the chase was over the old horse was as great 

 a slug as before, and it required no ordinary amount of 

 care and attention to keep him on his limbs. How- 

 ever, he took me home in safety, and I parted with him 

 with only one regret, and that was that he was not at 

 least twenty years younger. 



Next morning we had baked elephant's foot : it was 

 one mass of gelatine, excellently flavoured, and, I am 

 certain, very sustaining. 



I had done so well in the hunt, in fact distinguished 

 myself, that I was regarded by all with eyes of great 

 approval ; the old warrior did not hesitate to tell me so, 

 and was so patronising that I commenced to fear that 

 he would again broach the matrimonial scheme. The 

 little maid brought me twice a day an ample supply 

 of clotted milk an admirable dish when you get ac- 

 customed to it and from her simplicity of manner it 

 was evident she knew nothing of the matter. 



During the stay of these Boers in this locality they 



