174 VERTEBRATA. MAMMALIA. 



from the bush, and while Thackwray [a professed 

 hunter] descended to obtain a shot at a large male 

 with enormous tusks, perambulating in calm and dig- 

 nified stateliness around the troop, I remained on an 

 elevated spot, whence I could command a view of 

 the animals feeding beneath. Among the herd 

 were several young ones frisking, if such a term 

 may be applied to these clumsy animals, with un- 

 couth and awkward gambols, in all the natural free- 

 dom of their early vigour. One of them, rather 

 larger than a calf, was standing between the fore 

 legs of its dam, who was suckling it, and caressing 

 it at the same time with her proboscis. As I con- 

 tinued to watch the scene, I saw Thackwray wave 

 his hand for me to retire out of view, for he was now 

 cautiously creeping forward under cover of the 

 brushwood to get within shot; but the male Ele- 

 phant caught sight of me before T could conceal my- 

 self from observation ; when raising its trunk and 

 napping its large ears against its shoulders, it ut- 

 tered a shrill cry, and dashed with the whole herd 

 at its heels into the thickest part of the covert, 

 where it was useless to follow. Mounting our horses 

 again, we rode away, but had not advanced far be- 

 fore Thrackray discovered a pair of fine ivory tusks 

 actively engaged in an adjoining part of the bush. 

 This was too great a temptation to be withstood, 

 and proceeding towards the spot, he ventured so 

 close before he fired, that the cocking of his piece 

 gave the first intimation of danger to the Elephant, 

 which at the same instant received the fatal ball. 



