THE ELEPHANTS' SIGNALS. 183 



dense cover. I kept at this distance to avoid any eddies 

 of wind that might otherwise have carried to the elephants 

 the knowledge of my presence : there was a breeze blow- 

 ing, so I did not fear the animals getting my wind. I had 

 waited patiently for more than half an hour, watching for 

 a shot, and could see several of the top branches of the 

 trees shaken by the elephants which were feeding ; some 

 were within thirty yards of the edge of the bush, while 

 several others were scattered about at different distances. 

 I did not feel inclined to enter the bush, as it was so 

 dense, therefore very dangerous ; and I hoped to have a 

 good view of the game in the open. Suddenly, and 

 without any apparent reason, an elephant, which was feed- 

 ing at about two hundred yards from me, gave a trumpet 

 of alarm. This warning-note I had frequently heard, and 

 had often been surprised at the code of signals that these 

 sagacious animals seemed to have. I knew that this note 

 had not been blown without good cause ; the well-trained 

 herd instantly ceased feeding, and remained without the 

 slightest noise for nearly a minute, when they all appeared 

 to have made themselves acquainted with the cause of 

 alarm, as they walked away rapidly in the bush, blowing 

 through their trunks, and making the branches crack in 

 their passage. I could not make out for what all this 

 was done, but listened carefully for some time, and heard 

 nothing that should have caused alarm. 



After waiting some minutes, I was about to return to 

 my horse, when I heard voices, and soon after saw two 

 men of the Cape corps, who were half-drunk and riding 

 up the road at a slow trot. They asked me " if this was the 



