OUR BACKYARD CIRCUS 123 



or zebra would have changed its mind half a dozen 

 times, advancing and retreating until it dashed off in 

 a panic of fright. Not so the elephant. 



After a long smell and the best look its little beady 

 eyes could take, the elephant backed a pace or two, 

 then slowly turned and walked deliberately away. 

 He was not angry; neither was he afraid. He had 

 probably never been shot at in his life. Had he 

 decided we were enemies he would have charged ; we 

 knew this by sad experience. We were very thankful 

 that he didn't, as we were right out in the open with 

 no cover or refuge. 



Not long after this we fell in with another elephant 

 that took our presence in a much more animated 

 fashion. He was feeding like the first one. But 

 the background was different, and he behaved as if he 

 were really wide awake. So I determined to film 

 him. I managed to get the cameras set up in a wide 

 open space before he saw us. As Osa was tired out 

 after a hard morning she stayed back on the top of a 

 high rock from which she could watch the surroimd- 

 ing coimtry. In a few minutes the elephant started 

 coming in our direction. At a distance of about 

 thirty yards he backed off to the tree from which he 

 had been eating. But he was too nervous to continue 

 his meal. 



Once more he came to investigate us, walking in 

 comical little goose steps as though ready to charge 



