An African Shooting Trip 



showed the mark of the first bullet by blood 

 running down his chest in front. The ani- 

 mals now entered the dense thicket where we 

 first found them. There they stood, hot and 

 angry, and reaching their trunks down into 

 their stomachs, drew up large quantities of 

 water, which they blew over their dusty sides. 



Some of the natives now told me that the 

 big, wounded elephant had rushed off by him- 

 self down the valley, toward the camp. We 

 immediately started in pursuit, and, after a 

 long chase, during which I tried a few un- 

 successful long shots, came up with him in 

 broken ground. This allowed us to gain a 

 little elevation in front, and gave me a fore- 

 head shot. Down he went, but he was still 

 breathing when we came up. This elephant 

 appeared very old, and had much the best 

 ivory we obtained. 



The ivory from this country, besides being 

 smaller, is harder in consistency than that 

 found in the better-watered regions farther 

 south, and for this reason is not so market- 

 able. The most important ivory industry of 

 to-day is that which makes use of it for cover- 

 ing piano and organ keys. By special ma- 

 chinery, sections of the large, soft tusks from 



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