128 BIG GAME SHOOTING 



go back for ammunition. He may have been away two or 

 three minutes, but it seemed a long time. When he returned 

 the difficulty was to get what he had brought to me. There 

 were two or three small trees on the spot. I was standing 

 beside one of them, and he managed somehow to climb into it, 

 and, leaning forward from a bough, to put the powder and 

 balls into my hand, which I held behind me. I began 

 very cautiously to load, by feeling not by sight, for I knew I 

 must keep my eyes fixed. Fortunately the balls went home 

 easily, though every little push I had to give with the ramrod 

 brought a twitch and a growl from my neighbour. At last all- 

 was finished except putting on the caps, but this was the crux. 

 Directly I raised the gun to fix them the lion began to show 

 signs of waking up in earnest. It was a touchy operation, 

 and oh ! the relief when it was done ! The first shot rolled 

 him over, and the second finished him. 



I had now time to look about me, and found the ground 

 trampled by elephants into broad roads. Going back along 

 the line of the stampede of the previous night, I met a poor 

 little yearling calf elephant, torn badly by a lion, but still 

 alive. I put it out of its misery. This was doubtless the 

 cause of the last night's scare. After a cup of coffee and a 

 damper I started on the tracks. The herd was of cows, but I 

 was induced to follow it, as to my surprise there were two 

 or three bulls consorting with them a most unusual circum- 

 stance, for as a rule they herd apart like stags. But there 

 could be no mistake there were the great tell-tale feet. 



The line of retreat kept widening from the numerous small 

 parties that had joined the main body till at length it was two 

 hundred yards broad, and I and John cantered merrily along 

 it over the flat for ten miles, when we entered a dense belt of 

 bush, into which we had not penetrated far when our progress 

 was obstructed by a young bull with small tusks, who seemed 

 inclined to make himself unpleasant. I did not want him and 

 tried to drive him off, but he wouldn't go, and at last charged 

 down on our horses. This was too much, and I shot him. 



