CHAPTER X. 



A shooting-party in the bush Elephant "sign" The elephants heard 

 Caution in the bush Approach to a wary elephant The better part of 

 valour Traces of the wounded elephant Sic vos non vobis Acute ear 

 of elephants The elephants' signals More of them Tree'd Teaching 

 the young idea A family picture Chaffed by monkeys A sharp look- 

 out The disadvantage of "crackers" A Kaffir coward Capricious 

 temper of elephants Elephants in the " open" An awkward position 

 Sharp practice. 



ON one of those beautiful mornings that are met with in 

 or near the tropics, a light westerly wind blowing, we started 

 for some small pools of water, distant about three miles 

 from the town of D'Urban. The party consisted of myself 

 and two Kaffirs. I had on a small straw hat, well browned, 

 a dark blue flannel shirt, and a pair of the untanned 

 leather breeches of the country, denominated crackers. 

 The "veld scfioens" (field shoes), similar to those worn by 

 the Dutch boers, are much better than boots, as they are 

 comfortable, soft, easy, and very silent. A long dark 

 green jacket, fitting loosely, and covered with pockets, 

 was my only other article of raiment. This was my 

 favourite costume for the bush, and one that I had found 

 particularly difficult to be distinguished when surrounded 

 by the thick underwood and gloom of the overhanging 

 trees. 



My two Kaffirs had each a powder-horn and bullet- 

 pouch hung over their shoulders, a necklace of charmed 

 woods, and a small piece of buckskin of about a foot in 



