ELEPHANT-HUNTING 225 



ears backwards, so as to meet with a thundering clap behind 

 their head, scattering a cloud of dust. One elephant in his 

 baffled rage tore up large lumps of grass and earth, and then 

 threw them backward over his head in a paroxysm of blind 

 fury. Others moved about, trampling down the tall grass in 

 their search for the unseen foe. Curiously enough, whatever 

 they did, they yet managed to maintain a sort of inner circle, 

 and my men assured me that elephants often do so, when one 



A LUCKY SHOT. 



of their number has fallen, only leaving the spot when quite 

 sure that their companion is dead. We thereupon crept away 

 in the long grass and gave the herd a wide berth. 



By-and-by a man was sent to reconnoitre and to report 

 on the situation ; and then we found, that the herd had dis- 

 appeared, but that one elephant lay dead on the ground. A 

 single shot had killed the animal ; what had become of the 

 second shot and the second elephant wounded by me we did 

 not find out. The " kill " took place just half-an-hour's march 

 from the camp. The illustration shows how the dead elephant 

 lay, before the natives proceeded to cut him up. I claimed the 



P 



