82 RIG GAME SHOOTING 



small calves. As the mothers move off, disturbed and trumpet- 

 ing, the little fellows fancy it their business to follow suit. Up 

 goes each tiny trunk with a penny trumpet and a fussy waving 

 to and fro. When frightened they run under their mothers, 

 and peer out in the most old-fashioned way ; and if you have 

 been unfortunate enough to kill the parent, they will often 

 follow your horse poor little beggars ! 



The mothers, I think, as a rule, do not show so much 

 affection for their young as might be expected. They are 

 too nervous and easily affected to remain mistresses of them- 

 selves, and, so far as I have experience, forget their off- 

 spring in troubled times. You have occasionally striking 

 instances to the contrary, but they are the exceptions. In a 

 large herd of females I once shot a young bull, believing him a 

 good tusked cow ; as he dropped, a gaunt old lady, presumably 

 his mamma, fell out from the herd, and charged me at once. 

 I was on horseback and galloped away from her, as she had 

 shabby stumpy tusks, and though I was that day shooting 

 for the pot, there were plenty of others to choose from. She 

 turned back to the dead elephant, which lay in the opening 

 through which I had to pass to get at the others, and stood guard 

 over it, charging in the most determined way every time I 

 attempted to get by which I had to do at last by allowing her to 

 follow me and then doubling on her. This scene I remember 

 more clearly than I otherwise perhaps should because of an ex- 

 traordinary sight. When I caught the elephants again they 

 were slinging down a hillside. Dismounting, I killed three 

 of them, two pitching on their heads and rolling over like 

 rabbits. 



We shot through the country of the Bakaa for about seven 

 weeks, north and south of the rocky hills on which they lived, 

 and I was here first introduced to that giant tree, the baobab. 

 I was following elephant spoor on foot, with three or four men, 

 through thick thorns, when I found that they had led me off 

 the tracks ; and on looking up for a reason why, quite close to 

 me stood what at first I took to be the body of an elephant, 



