146 SIR VICTOR BROOKE CHAP. 



off, and going very leisurely, and my heart throbbed 

 till I thought it would break itself, as visions of the 

 grand old fellow dead floated through my brain. 

 After much more difficulty than we anticipated we got 

 to the bottom of the hill, the foot of which was a 

 chaotic mass of huge rocks lying in fantastic attitudes 

 one upon the other. Once past these, however, all 

 was simple enough, and away I set as hard as I could 

 run. My object was to hit off the track and follow it 

 up till I came up, if luck should favour me, with the 

 old bull. With little or no difficulty I crossed into the 

 spoor, and then away I ran after the herd as hard as I 

 could go. After a quarter of a mile was gone over, 

 and I was beginning to wonder at the pace they hajd 

 gone at, on turning a clump of bamboos, I, to my 

 amazement, found myself almost in the middle of the 

 elephants. Stopping short, I wheeled round out of 

 sight before I was discovered, and crouching in the 

 short grass waited till the others came to me. I 

 pointed out the direction of the great part of the herd 

 to Hamilton, and we then discussed how to get at 

 them. Cautiously peering through the bush, we made 

 out the monster, standing with his broadside to us, 

 about 50 yards off. They were all in the middle of 

 a large glade, with one or two trees and a few bushes 

 scattered through it. One tree was about 10 yards 

 behind the big bull, and this was the best point we 

 could make for. The wind was very favourable. I 

 went first on my hands and knees with the " ould 

 weepon " on full cock in my hand. Keeping as low as 

 I could in the white grass, I eeled myself along in true 

 deer-stalking fashion. The others followed in similar 

 attitudes. We had about 20 yards to crawl before 

 we found ourselves undiscovered and behind the tree. 

 It was a rather peculiar position, and one that a man 



