THE ELEPHANT. 185 



Then he mo\ed away, without much haste, doubling 

 the distance between them. 



One of the farmers descended from his horse, and 

 falling on one knee, and fixing in the ground his 

 musket-stand, he fired. 



Scarcely had he time to remount and turn his horse, 

 when the colossal beast was on his track, uttering such 

 a shrill cry that it seemed to pierce the hunter to the 

 very marrow of his bones. Happily he had presence of 

 mind to turn towards a rising ground, the climbing 

 of which slackened the pace of the elephant. , The 

 other hunter seized the moment, dismounted, and 

 fired, then sprang on his saddle again, and spurred off 

 with both heels, having now the terrible game behind 

 him : the tactics which had succeeded with his com- 

 rade saved him. The elephant did not fall until ho 

 had received the eighth ball. 



Another colonist, Claas Volk, being hidden behind 

 a clump of prickly shrubs, flattered himself that he 

 should surprise an elephant. The animal scented him, 

 struck him down with his trunk, and trampled him 

 underneath his feet. 



A band of hunters had surprised two elephants, the 

 one a male, the other a female, in the open plain. Not 

 far off were some thick and prickly bushes : the 

 animals fled towards the thicket, and the male was 

 soon under cover, but the female, having been wounded, 



