134 SAFARI 



We gradually became so accustomed to elephants 

 that we felt far less fear of them than we should 

 have. A curious experience some time later showed 

 that it is not safe in Africa ever to be off guard. 



We started out one morning for a donga several 

 miles away and on the trail noticed a grass fire a 

 considerable distance from us. About lo a.m. Osa 

 spotted four elephants in the donga below us, one 

 young bull and three females. I got to work with my 

 camera and inside of thirty minutes had used every 

 lens, from the shortest focus to the longest. By 

 this time the elephants had decided to graze. They 

 left the trees and came out into the opening, slowly 

 gathering grass and throwing it over them, now and 

 then pulling up a young tree. 



Suddenly we were made aware of the unexpected 

 approach of the fire by a sudden roar of flames. 

 Apparently the conflagration had almost died out at 

 a small donga beyond the elephants ; but on crossing 

 it had come to dry grass as high as our heads. Now 

 it swept down on us with the speed of a train. We 

 were standing on a small peninsula of land where the 

 donga took a turn. Before we knew it we found 

 ourselves entirely cut off ; in every direction the grass 

 was on fire, already scorching us with its heat. 

 There was but one thing to do, and that was to go 

 over the little cliff nearby and take our chances with 

 the elephants. 



