Faithful Females 257 



cries of rage, gallops several times round the group in 

 her search for the enemy, exactly like an enormous 

 sheep-dog when it is reassembling its flock. 1 keep 

 at a distance, following the elephants' movements. 

 Soon, calm seems to have returned to them, arid they 

 continue their journey in the direction of another 

 thicket. The male, which one can still distinguish by 

 his high back, is in the middle of the herd ; but 

 suddenly I see him slacken his pace, hesitate, then 

 stop dead and remain behind, motionless in the middle 

 of the plain. Just at the moment I am going to rush 

 forward to give it the coup de grace all the females 

 turn back and surround him ; and I distinctly see 

 them pushing him along, making him walk in spite of 

 himself, almost carrying him, as the unfortunate 

 animal sets its heels well in the ground. At last, by 

 force of efforts in the midst of grunting, a great 

 flapping of ears, an entanglement of raised, lowered, 

 or twisted trunks the wounded animal, carried, 

 pushed, and supported by the females, takes a few 

 more steps and enters the thicket, which I reach 

 close upon their heels. 



I could easily have killed several females during this 

 scene and that which had preceded it; but, not wishing 

 to tarry in the country unnecessarily, I decided to 

 content myself with the male. As to thinking of 

 killing it as long as it was surrounded by its sorrow- 

 ing companions that was impossible. I should have 

 run a very good chance of being charged. 



After a few minutes' waiting in order to see whether 

 the elephants remained in the thicket, I make a rapid 



17 



