A COW AND BULL ELEPHANT BAGGED 



perfectly still, facing the brute, who kept up a succession 

 of shrill screams, with which the whole jungle seemed to 

 vibrate, for a minute that appeared the longest I had ever 

 passed. Suddenly she swung round and made off in the 

 direction taken by the other elephants, but not before I had 

 lodged a bullet from the 8-bore in her ribs. 



It now appeared that, while I was stalking the bull, 

 this vicious old cow had got our wind, and had quietly 

 come up from behind — ^apparently to inspect us more 

 closely — when Khaliffa, happening to look round at that 

 moment, fortunately saw her and blazed into her face with 

 my 10-bore. The shot had evidently done her no harm, 

 but so close was she that I have not the slightest doubt 

 that, but for Khaliffa's fortunate intervention one, or perhaps 

 both, of us might have been killed. 



We now took up the tracks of the wounded cow by the 

 blood, of which there was plenty, and soon came on her 

 standing within twenty yards of a bush, looking very savage. 

 Stalking up to this bush, which was to leeward of her, I 

 killed her with a shot in the temple. Though a large 

 elephant, her tusks wore merely stumps and not worth 

 taking. 



Quickly mounting our horses, which we had left some 

 distance off, we now took up the spoor of the rest of the herd, 

 and eventually came upon them late in the evening in an 

 open plain covered with grass and scrub. They were 

 walking slowly on, swinging their trunks from side to side 

 kI quite unconscious of our approach. 



Galloping ahead, with Khaliffa following, I was soon on 

 • level with the bull, who was amongst the rearmost 

 iininmls, and about thirty yards to his left. Jumping off, 

 I fired a right and left at his shoulder with the 8-bore 

 Paradox. On receiving the shots he ran on a few yards, 

 t hen fell over, dead. 



It was nearly dark by the time we had removed the tusks 

 uhich were quite a nice pair. Tlicn collecting some dry 

 wiKxl, we made a fire and lay down beside the dead elephant. 

 During the night I heard a lion roar not far from our 

 '•ivouac. 



In the morning, on our way back to camp, I shot a fine 

 ^ser koodoo, and wounded an oryx bull which my men 



187 



