ii4 ADVENTURES OF AN ELEPHANT HUNTER CH. 



returned and, with astonishment written all over 

 his black face, imparted the startling information 

 that the elephant had vanished ! So dumbfounded 

 was I at this extraordinary news, that I told my 

 tracker he must have taken leave of his senses, 

 and poor Simba, feeling somewhat hurt at my 

 casting ridicule on his statement, could only 

 assert more positively than ever that he was 

 speaking the truth. Knowing that my man was 

 a most reliable and accurate native, I was at 

 length obliged to credit his statement, and 

 picking up my heavy rifle, I hastened in his 

 company to where the elephant had fallen and 

 lain. On arriving at the spot, we could see from 

 the marks on the ground how the animal had 

 struggled to regain his feet, and how from the 

 trunks of some of the surrounding trees he 

 had scrubbed patches of bark as he had 

 lurched against them in an effort to steady 

 himself. On following up his spoor, we also learnt 

 from the impressions made by his toes in the 

 ground, and the way in which the grass had 

 been brushed aside, how his manner of pro- 

 gression had gradually changed from staggering 

 to a firm gait, and from a firm gait to a good 

 steady pace. For six solid hours, we kept 

 relentlessly on his tracks, but had utterly failed 

 to come up with him when night put an end 



