PRACTICAL JOKE. 295 



bush, and apparently coming towards us. Our horses 

 stood like rocks, merely pricking up their ears a little 

 when a louder smash of a branch than usual was heard. 

 It was getting rather exciting, as the elephants were 

 blowing and grumbling very distinctly; and by their 

 moving about a good deal they seemed meditating a 

 march on to the open flat to drink. Suddenly they all 

 became silent, and the finest ear could not discover a 

 sound indicative of a large animal being near. I whis- 

 pered to my companion, and asked what he thought was 

 the cause. We were not long uncertain, for close under 

 the bush we saw in the gloom two tall objects moving, so 

 there was no doubt that the elephants had come out of the 

 bush, and therefore could now walk silently. We whis- 

 pered that we would fire together, and both barrels as 

 quickly as possible one after the other. The two objects 

 were little more than eighty yards from us, when we 

 quietly cocked our guns, and were going to deliver our 

 fire. 



As I was straining my eyes to catch a glimpse of 

 the glittering ivories, and thereby to judge the position 

 of the elephant's shoulder, I fancied that the step did not 

 appear like an elephant's. The moon was not yet up, con- 

 sequently we could see but indistinctly. Somehow the 

 thought came across me that perhaps other sportsmen had 

 also come out to try for a shot, and I called immediately 

 to F. " For God's sake don't fire it is a man on horse- 

 back." He said something about " ndnsense, it can't be." 

 I called again, rather louder, for him not to fire ; and as I 

 did so a roar of laughter came from one of the supposed 



