A TALE OF THREE ELEPHANTS. 199 



of a troop of elephants on the right bank, so I set off at 

 once and arrived at my camping ground on the same 

 night. 



Next day I made a wide cast across country and struck 

 the spoor of four elephants. After following it for some 

 hours it trended towards the river again, and at last I 

 came to where they had all bathed in the river. After 

 bathing they had ascended the river, feeding as they 

 went. 



It was about three in the afternoon when we came 

 upon them. We were on their tracks which led along 

 the banks, and were making our way through a sort of 

 thicket, when we heard an elephant give an alarming 

 squall, or trumpet call, about fifty yards to our front. 

 This was followed by a perfect chorus of trumpeting 

 from the others. 



On this occasion I was accompanied by natives who 

 were unaccustomed to elephants, and they became 

 demoralised and rushed back in alarm, crying out to me : 

 " Run, sir, they are coming". 



The bush here at the water's edge was very dense, 

 and we were approaching the elephants down wind, so I 

 deemed it folly to proceed. However, the jungle about 

 fifty yards from the water's edge was more open. There 

 were large trees scattered about, and wherever you get 

 large timber you have fairly open ground. 



So I went back about a hundred yards, and making a 

 move to the right went round, intending to approach the 

 elephants from the land side and thus get them between 

 myself and the river. 



It was necessary to advance with caution, for they were 

 evidently intoxicated with wild fruit, and had no inten- 

 tion of running away without first showing fight. 



