ELEPHANT HUNTING. 547 



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the spot. The whole herd dashed through the camp, causing 

 indescribable consternation amongst cattle and followers, but 

 fortunately no accident occurred; and after the fatiguing 

 day's work we had undergone, we were not sorry to find 

 ourselves at home. 



Watery clouds hung about the sun as he set heavily behind 

 the mountains. Loud peals of crashing thunder rent the 

 air, and ere it was yet dark, we had a repetition of yesterday's 

 storm ; the river roaring past us with frightful fury ; troops 

 of elephants, flying from the scene of slaughter, passed close 

 to our wagons during the darkness, their wild voices echoing 

 amongst the mountains, and sounding like trumpets above 

 the tempest. It was impossible to keep the fires burning ; 

 and the oxen and sheep were alarmed to such a degree that 

 they broke from the kraal, and sought safety in the wilder- 

 ness. Tired as I was, the excitement I had undergone 

 banished sleep from my eyes. I ruminated on the spirit- 

 stirring events of the day, and burned with impatience to 

 renew them. Heedless of the withering blast that howled 

 without, I felt that my most sanguine expectations had been 

 realized, and that we had already been amply repaid for the 

 difficulties, privations and dangers that we had encountered 

 in our toilsome journey towards this fairy-land' of sport. 



It was still raining heavily when the day gloomily dawned. 

 The mountain torrents having overflowed their banks, the 

 valley in which we were encamped had become a continuous 

 pool of water, and those of our followers who had slung 

 their hammocks beneath the wagons, were partially sub- 

 merged. High-roads had been ploughed through the mire 

 by the passage of elephants, and whole acres of grass, by 

 which we had been surrounded the preceding evening, had 

 been completely trampled down. Soon after sunrise it cleared 

 up, and the cattle having been recovered, we armed a party 

 with hatchets, and proceeded on foot to cut out the teeth of 



