286 SPORTING AND 



biting at his foot, and I knew that, if the 

 elephant had been alive, he never would 

 have tamely put up with such an insult as 

 that ; so, leaping down to the ground, I 

 approached him and found he was quite 

 dead and stiff. 



" How I gazed on his enormous bulk ! 

 In the excitement of my joy I mounted 

 up and stood on his back. But what most 

 riveted my eyes and filled me with delight, 

 were his enormous tusks, for I saw they 

 were thoroughly good ivory, and here at 

 once was the price of my new gun ! 

 Having nothing with me that could remove 

 them, I picked up my gun again, and, 

 quickly loading it, I threw it over my 

 shoulder and made for home as rapidly as 

 possible. I was not afraid of any one steal- 

 ing the tusks, for the jungle had such a bad 

 name that I believe no native would have 



