1 1 o ELEPHA NT-HUNTING IN EA ST A ERICA chap. 



only a bit of him being visible and the necessity of making the 

 best of such chances as it is possible to get in such thick cover, 

 I was not able to put the bullet quite so close up behind the 

 shoulder as it should be for an ideal shot. For an elephant's 

 stomach seems to me to come farther forward towards his chest 

 cavity than does that of most animals ; so that, if the shot is a 

 trifle too far back, not only the heart but the lungs may be 

 easily missed. However, I felt sure this was not so far aft as 

 to allow the latter organs to escape. The grunt he gave also 

 sounded confirmatory of my belief, and this was borne out by 

 a little frothy blood on his retreating spoor. Feeling that he 

 was sure to succumb soon to this wound, and being anxious to 

 go after the second bull ''both were huge beasts), I did not 

 follow the spoor of the wounded one beyond a few steps, but, 

 leaving him to be sought for afterwards, turned my attention to 

 his mate. I may add that I did recover him all right, though 

 not that day. He was found dead by my Ndorobo friends not 

 far from my camp, straight towards which he had, curiously 

 enough, made. He had only one tusk. Single tusks are 

 commonly reported to be usually very large ; but this was no 

 heavier than an ordinary large bull's tooth (weighing 75 lbs.). 

 I examined the skull, and found he never had a second, as 

 there was no socket on the other side. 



But to come back to my day's hunt. My Ndorobo lads 

 were very lukewarm and disinclined to go on, their hearts being 

 with the meat at their kraals ; and, finding the other bull had 

 moved on, it was not without some persuasion that I got them 

 to go on, though I was determined to follow, whether or no. 

 However, they came, and I was glad of it, as they were useful, 

 knowing the country intimately and being somewhat better 

 spoorers and much quicker of hearing (an important qualifica- 

 tion) than my own men. On catching the faintest sound of an 

 elephant blowing, or a slight rustling of branches, they will at 

 once fix the exact place whence the sound, very likely inaudible 

 to other ears, proceeds. The second bull had gone over the 



