288 The Hunting Grounds 



I had left Googooloo. A shrill whistle twice re- 

 peated soon brought him to my side, and I learnt 

 that my shots, being so far distant, had hardly dis- 

 turbed the herd, for most of them were still browsing 

 in the same place. He showed me the spoor of 

 another bull, which we followed for nearly a mile up 

 a narrow ravine, or rather gorge, in the mountain, 

 where we found him drinking in a rocky nullah, and 

 accompanied by two females. After having watched 

 his movements for a few moments, I saw that it 

 was advisable to gain the opposite bank, as it was 

 much higher and afforded good cover. This I ac- 

 complished, after some trouble, for the underwood 

 was very thick, by making a circuitous route, 

 crossing the stream some distance to leeward, and 

 creeping along the banks of the nullah until I got 

 behind a tree, about thirty paces from the group. 



Although I kept well under cover, I could see 

 from the elephants' movements that their suspicions 

 had been aroused, for they kept sniffing about with 

 their trunks as if they were aware that " there was 

 something strange in the wind." 



At last the bull moved forward a couple of paces 

 and stretched out his trunk, as if to discover from 

 whence the taint in the air proceeded, at the same 

 time fully presenting his broad forehead to my view. 

 This was the opportunity I sought.' I took a steady 

 aim at the vulnerable spot, just over the root of the 



