114 SAFARI 



the trail, hoping that we should meet some elephants 

 which were not yet bound for bed. The heat 

 probably was making them all sleepy. Hardly had 

 we started when we ran into three more right ahead 

 of us. 



"You stay here," whispered Boculy, who wanted 

 to reconnoitre. 



I agreed but wanted him to take a gun bearer with 

 him. He shook his head. It was pretty brave of 

 him. He never would have stopped a stampede. 

 He would have been crushed to a pulp in two minutes 

 if the animals had started his way. 



Hardly had he gone ten feet when I saw him jimip 

 into the air with a smothered exclamation. I ran 

 ahead a few steps. Right there beside him was the 

 largest cobra I had ever seen. It was at least ten feet 

 long and as big around as my arm; it was lying fiat, 

 not coiled, as one would expect. Its head was about 

 two feet from the ground and its neck was spread out 

 larger than my hand in anger. 



Boculy retreated trembling all over. He could 

 hardly speak he was so terrified. He was not scared 

 of elephants but snakes always frightened him. 

 Hoping to chase the reptile off the trail he carefully 

 selected a stick from some dead brush beside the trail 

 and threw it at the creature. The snake struck 

 viciously at the piece just as it fell. We could have 

 shot it, but did not want to disturb the elephants. 



