A LUCKY KILL. 163 



It jumps from a tree, and spreading out its legs is thus 

 sustained by the membrane. I have seen it shoot across 

 from one tree to another over an intervening space of at 

 least 150 yards. The point of arrival is necessarily a 

 little lower than the point of departure, but so slight is 

 the angle of descent, that the impression given is that 

 the creature travels through the air horizontally. 



With the darkness the noises of the night cease. 



I sat down to my solitary meal of tinned provisions 

 and coffee, and, after a quiet pipe, gave my express and 

 my heavy double No. 8 bore a coating of vaseline, and 

 then lay down to rest, so that I might be ready for the 

 hard day's work that awaited us on the morrow. 



Morning and evening in the tropics are the pleasantest 

 times of the day. In the morning especially Nature looks 

 its best. There is a freshness in the air. The wondrous 

 vegetation glittering under a heavy load of dew suggests 

 fairy-land, and the best transformation scene on a 

 London stage seemed tawdry when compared with 

 this beautiful river, which, like a path of silver, wound 

 its way amid glorious masses of tropical foliage. What 

 a blessing it is that one can occasionally get face to 

 face with Nature ! She complains not at her votaries 

 paying homage in shirt-sleeves, and untrimmed by a 

 razor. 



After a hasty plunge in the river and a light breakfast 

 we set off in search of the elephants. 



I directed our course almost at right angles to the 

 direction of the river, thinking thereby that if the ele- 

 phants had come anywhere in this direction I must cross 

 their spoor. 



Occasionally a pig trotted across us, or a deer would 

 give a shrill bark and bound away, but we hardly noticed 



