140 The Life of an Elephant 



the level grasslands from whence arose here 

 and there little clouds of white mist denoting 

 the presence of stagnant water. He climbed to 

 the top of a small eminence and in the distance 

 his riders saw a sight which compensated them 

 for the chilly ride in the silent darkness, and 

 even for such further exertions as might fall to 

 their lot during the day. A herd of bison were 

 scattered over the plain below moving in full 

 security towards some plateau in the hills where 

 they proposed to pass the day. In the dim 

 morning light they gave the impression of a 

 herd of enormous black cattle grazing its way 

 homeward. The calves ran by their mothers' 

 sides or gambolled aimlessly in their neighbour- 

 hood ; the cows moved stolidly along browsing 

 on some tender branch as they passed, or 

 pulling mouthfuls of the wet grass. And last of 

 all came two bulls whose massive forms seemed 

 to dwarf the other members of the herd. 



And now the sun shot suddenly into the 

 horizon, and the scene changed. Blacks and 

 greys disappeared from the landscape and vivid 

 colours took their place, in the greens of grass 



