NDOROBO ELEPHANT-HUNTING 



rise bordering the valley on the north, and, on reaching the top, 

 we turned off a little to the right of the spoor to ascend a small 

 koppie. The bush was here too tall and leafy to allow of 

 anything being seen ; but, after listening a little while, my 

 Ndorobo companions heard him. Being too near the wind, we 

 made back and came cautiously up it, after a circuit to the 

 left, instead of following the spoor again. Having arrived near 

 the spot where he had been heard, we waited again for another 

 sign, and so long was it without his making a sound, that we 

 almost came to the conclusion he must have winded us when 

 on the koppie and gone on ; but I persisted in proceeding with 

 the greatest care until we should again cut his spoor, and before 

 we had advanced many steps farther we all heard him blow- 

 distinctly quite close ahead. Motioning my attendants to 

 remain there, I picked my steps gingerly on, intensely on the 

 look-out, but could not see him until I got within a very short 

 distance, when a little open track in the bush showed me his 

 huge hind-quarters towards me. This being the only opening 

 to leeward, I came up behind him, and stood within a distance 

 I had time to deliberately calculate to be no more than five 

 paces from his tail. To the right I dared not go, on account of 

 the wind ; to the left the jungle was dense. There was nothing 

 for it but to wait. 



Now there is a curious contrast in the aspect at close 

 quarters presented respectively by the two ends of an elephant, 

 apart from the obvious difference in the moral effect on the 

 hunter according to which extremity is towards him. When 

 viewed from the rear there is a comically clownish, baggy- 

 breeched, knock-kneed look about his drooping hinder parts ; 

 while a front view of his majestic head, armed with gleaming 

 tusks and furnished with a far-reaching supple trunk, and set 

 off by the grotesque great ears, outstretched as if to catch any 

 suspicious sound — all raised aloft on colossal fore quarters, so 

 that the top of his massive forehead may be not less than 

 I I feet from the ground — is as singularly impressive and 



