832 THE HUNTING GROUNDS 



tions, as they wanted to see the fun, we crept as 

 noiselessly as possible towards the spot from whence 

 the sound proceeded, and in a little while had the 

 gratification of seeing a very fair-sized tusker rub- 

 bing himself most energetically against the trunk 

 of a large teak-tree. We made a circuit through 

 the wood in order to get well to leeward of him, and 

 then, cocking our rifles, cautiously approached, taking 

 advantage of whatever cover we could find from 

 clumps of bamboo and natural undulations of the 

 ground, he seeming so much engrossed in his occu- 

 pation (that of scratching himself) that he did not 

 perceive our approach, and allowed us to get close 

 behind him, where we stood watching his move- 

 ments for a few moments. Seeing that B wa3 



perfectly ready, I gave a shrill whistle, which imme- 

 diately attracted his attention, for his ears distended, 

 and he swang heavily round, with a hoarse grunt, 

 fully exposing his broad forehead to our view. Quick 



as thought, B threw up his rifle, and fired a 



double shot. A heavy fall, a subdued sigh, fol- 

 lowed the report, and when the smoke cleared away 

 I saw he had pitched heavily forward, and buried 

 his tusks nearly a foot deep into the ground. I 

 stepped up to give him a " coup de grace" but it 

 was not required, both bullets had struck the vul- 

 nerable place immediately above the trunk, within 

 an inch of each other, and, penetrating the brain, 

 death was instantaneous. 



" Hurrah \" cried B , as he threw up his cap, 



