Elepliantiaiia. 1 8 1 



armed with a poisoned spike, or along, double-edged 

 blade, is dropped upon them from a height. 



Some tribes, more courageous than the rest, can 

 hunt down the animal, and mob it to death, flinging 

 spears at it until the creature dies from weariness and 

 itsjtnultitudinous wounds. 



Bravest of all are the Agageers, so well djscribcd 

 by Sir S. Baker. 



They hunt the elephant in pairs, one being armed 

 with a long, straight sword, the edge of which is kept 

 as keen as that of a razor, and the other being un- 

 armed. When they hunt, both mount the same horse, 

 the armed man being behind. 



Picking out an elephant with good tusks, they ride 

 towards him and attract his attention. The man with 

 the sword then slips off and hides himself under any 

 convenient bush which they may pass. His com- 

 panion then irritates the elephant, until it charges 

 him. The horse, which is always of the swiftest kind, 

 and carefully trained for the purpose, intentionally 

 keeps just so far in front of the elephant that the 

 latter thinks of nothing but catching it. 



In course of the chase, the horseman passes close 

 by his comrade's hiding-place, the elephant being too 

 much excited to detect him. As the great beast 

 passes, the hunter steps from his ambush, and with 

 a single blow severs the tendon of the heel, which 

 in the elephant is close to the ground. The animal 

 is instantly rendered powerless, and can be killed 

 without the possibility of resistance. 



Even if the tendon be only partially severed, the 

 next step is sure to snap it. 



Yet in spite of the ingenuity of inventing such a 

 feat, and the cool daring by which it is accomplished, 

 no Agageer ever dreamed of taking the elephant 

 alive. Nor would the Zulus, bravest of the brave as 



