224 ADVENTURES OF AN ELEPHANT HUNTER CH. 



cautioning my men to keep a considerable distance 

 behind, lest they should disturb the elephant, pro- 

 ceeded to follow up the spoor on foot, my tracker, 

 Malingum, carrying my heavy double rifle, and 

 Ntawasie my light 1075 mm - After another 

 hour's work, we came up with the animal standing 

 stock-still in a thicket of bamboos about fifty yards 

 distant, with his head turned away from us ; and, as 

 the wind was blowing at a dangerous angle from us 

 to him and the level, bamboo and grass-covered 

 country rendered a detour difficult, I decided to 

 wait a few minutes, hoping that he might turn 

 slightly and give me the opportunity of placing a 

 bullet in a vital spot. At this juncture, a faint trace 

 of our scent must have reached him, for he began 

 tentatively sniffing the wind with his trunk, and 

 turned his head slightly to the left. The moment 

 was an anxious one, and Malingum, growing im- 

 patient, whispered : ' He has winded us, bwana ; 

 fire, or he will be off!' So, aiming several inches 

 behind the animal's ear, at an angle that I 

 calculated would ensure the bullet reaching his 

 brain, I fired my first barrel, but was very much 

 surprised to find that the brute did not even budge 

 from where he stood. (I discovered on subsequent 

 examination that the bullet had struck him too high 

 up to be effective.) I promptly emptied my second 

 barrel into him aiming for his heart, and the instant 



