220 After Big Game in Central Africa 

 not guard themselves as well as a herd of several 



o 



animals; and, moreover, though generally on the 

 qui vive, they are easy to approach. It is the same 

 in the case of buffaloes. Several times have I killed 

 isolated males, and it is infinitely less dangerous than 

 looking for the head of a herd sometimes in the 

 midst of females. I emphasise this point, because 

 all hunters are not of the same opinion, and solitary 

 elephants are generally given a character for wicked- 

 ness and ferocity which they do not deserve. 



We follow our elephant, which eats as he walks. 

 The wind, fortunately, is in our favour. We over- 

 take him in the tall grass while he proceeds slowly 

 on his way. Those colossal gray cruppers which move 

 away in front of me hide the tusks, but, according 

 to the dimensions of his foot, I believe they are of 

 large size. Waiting until he again stops to eat, we 

 keep at a distance ; but he seems to be no longer 

 hungry, and, as the wind may change, I begin 

 walking parallel to him, hiding myself behind the 

 bushes. At a certain moment, when I am twenty 

 yards to his right, and my men are a little in the 

 rear, he stops, and whether by chance, or whether 

 he is suspicious, stands exactly opposite the bush 

 which hides me. 



At this moment he is magnificent to look upon, 

 with his large ears open, his two short, white tusks 

 shining in the rising sun. Has he seen or scented 

 me ? I get ready my Express (which I had brought 

 with me that day, as on every other day of the week, 

 leaving my 8 -bore at the camp) in case of a charge. 



