SOUTH: AFRICA FIFTY YEARS AGO 81 
_ teeth, to ensure a supply for a long life, have always a young 
- tooth growing at the back of the alveolar process which pushes 
- out the old ones as they become worn. 
_ Most of my elephants were killed from horseback with the 
shoulder-shot ; the cover is rarely thick enough to allow you 
to get within reach on foot. Besides, on foot you can seldom 
dispose of more than two at a time; whereas from horseback, 
under favourable conditions, you may double or even treble that 
number. Sometimes you must crawl in, and then, of course, 
you take the head shot if you can get it ; but you ought to be 
within fifteen yards, on a line parallel with your quarry, just 
a trifle in advance, and then a ball in the lower depression, 
or temple, will, nineteen times out of twenty, be instantly fatal. 
I see Sir S. Baker does not believe in the front shot for 
Africans ; but, though as a rule I agree-with him entirely, I 
certainly have killed them by this. Their heads slope so 
‘much backwards, however, that it often fails. In tolerable 
‘ground there is but little difficulty ; but in thick bush there 
is always some danger, more especially if you are particular 
| in choosing your tusks ; and in riding the bull you select out 
| of the herd there is a certain amount of knack—you settle 
to him and then press him individually, disregarding the 
rest of the herd for the time. He shoots ahead of his com- 
_panions, or turns round on you and charges ; in either case 
you have gained your object—separation. If he charges, put 
the horse to the gallop and let him follow you, the farther the 
better. Watch as he slacks off, keeping about twenty yards 
head, and pull up sharp when he comes toastand. He is 
too blown to charge again, and when he turns to go after his 
mates he must give you his side ; one or two shots properly 
ced at short range are enough, ‘od you are away again after 
ying herd. The oftener you attack the easier the victory, 
the heavy beasts get tired, and in erie are much 
difficult to kill. 
The little elephant is an amusing imitator of the ways of his 
s. I have come upon cow herds with a number of very 
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