322 AFRICAN GAME TRAILS 



however, distracted our attention from the lesser game, 

 and we followed the big footprints eagerly, now losing the 

 trail, now finding it again. At last near a clump of big trees 

 we caught sight of three huge, dark bodies ahead of us. 

 The wind was right, and we stole toward them, Kermit 

 leading, and I immediately behind. Through the tangled 

 branches their shapes loomed in vague outline; but we 

 saw that one had a pair of long tusks, and our gun-bearers 

 unanimously pronounced it a big bull, with good ivory. A 

 few more steps gave Kermit a chance at its head, at about 

 sixty yards, and with a bullet from his .405 Winchester he 

 floored the mighty beast. It rose, and we both fired in 

 unison, bringing it down again; but as we came up it 

 struggled to get on its feet, roaring savagely, and once more 

 we both fired together. This finished it. We were dis- 

 appointed at finding that it was not a bull; but it was a 

 large cow, with tusks over five feet long a very unusual 

 length for a cow one weighing twenty-five, and the other 

 twenty-two pounds. 



Our experience had convinced us that both the Win- 

 chester .405, and the Springfield .300 would do good work 

 with elephants; although I kept to my belief that, for such 

 very heavy game, my Holland .500-450 was an even better 

 weapon. 



Not far from where this elephant fell Tarlton had, f 

 year before, witnessed an interesting incident. He \ 

 watching a small herd of elephants, cows and calves, wh 

 were in the open, when he saw them begin to grow une^ 

 Then, with a shrill trumpet, a cow approached a bush, 

 of which bounded a big lion. Instantly all the cows cha 

 him, and he fled as fast as his legs would carry him for 

 forest, two hundred yards distant. He just managed 

 reach the cover in safety; and then the infuriated cows, ir 

 their anger at his escape, demolished the forest for several 

 rods in every direction. 



