1 62 Wild Life in Central Africa. 



often give vent to several piercing shrill cries, at the same 

 time flapping his ears violently, and on occasion stamping 

 his feet ; then it is advisable to shoot very straight or get 

 out of his way. An elephant can run very fast when he 

 means mischief, and a man on foot would find it quite impos- 

 sible to get away unless there was cover about. A good 

 horse can outpace an elephant in open ground, as a rule ; but 

 if the horse was tired, or a sulky animal, it would go hard 

 with the hunter. Long ago, when unlimited elephants could 

 be shot, it was the custom of the best hunters to run them 

 down on foot, and Mr. Selous told me that in hot weather 

 he has sometimes run elephants almost to a standstill. 



When carrying a heavy rifle in soft, sandy ground, this 

 must have been the hardest physical exercise it is possible 

 to imagine. Of course, old hunters did not dress, like 

 some of the modern sportsmen do, in tight breeches, with 

 leather gaiters 5 and their coats or shirts decorated with 

 bright leather patches, and, in some cases, their belts 

 covered with an assortment of knives and odds and ends, 

 like a Christmas tree. No, they simply wore a hat, shirt, 

 small pants (although these were often not worn), and a 

 pair of shoes. It is a good thing for men to inure them- 

 selves to going about in bare legs, for they will move 

 unhampered, and, if the occasion arises for a bolt, they 

 will be able to run hard. A few scratches will not hurt 

 anyone ; in fact, after a time, one hardly feels them at all. 

 Without doubt, elephant hunting is the finest sport in the 

 world, and, when these fine beasts disappear which I hope 

 will not happen for a very long time the finest beast on 

 the earth to-day will have vanished. 



The best shot at an elephant is, undoubtedly, the heart, 

 as most accurate shooting and great experience is necessary 

 to hit the brain. The heart, too, is very much larger than 

 the brain and much more easily reached. 



A j-gmm. bullet will sometimes go right through the 

 heart of an elephant and be found near the skin on the 

 opposite side, and, as penetration is the great desideratum, 

 solid bullets should always be used. 



