History of a Bomb-shell 223 



the fruit of the fan palm-tree, fruit which is the size 

 of the fist and very hard. When the animal burst 

 the fruit was projected into the midst of the crowd 

 of men around it like the contents of an immense 

 bomb, strewing the ground with dead and wounded. 

 . . . Everybody doubles up with laughter, while the 

 narrator affirms the absolute truth of this event. It 

 is a fact ! Fearing that a similar fate may be re- 

 served for us, we draw away from this barrel of 

 gunpowder with already lighted fuse, making up our 

 minds to come back in two or three days' time to get 

 the tusks. Needless to say all the trees in the 

 neighbourhood are covered with vultures ; powerless 

 to penetrate the skin of the body they wait until 

 decomposition has done its work. The elephant's 

 skin is quite white with the dung of these birds, 

 which have ceaselessly walked over it, doubtless 

 conversing about the expected event. 



We avoid visiting this neighbourhood the follow- 

 ing day, but the wind informs us at nearly two miles' 

 distance that the explosion has occurred. Not wish- 

 ing to go myself, I send two men there to know 

 whether felines frequent the place, and also to bring 

 me back the tusks. 



At this season (rain has started to fall for some 

 days past) it is probable that all lions, leopards, 

 and famished hyenas within a radius of several 

 miles have been attracted around the elephant's 

 body. However, my men see nothing but vultures, 

 and no tracks whatever in the neighbourhood, show- 

 ing that this country must be very poor in felines. 



