Birth of the Calf 



15 



animals in the herd, consisting of half-grown 

 elephants of both sexes, of mature females and 

 of quite young 

 calves. Of these 

 latter some were 

 lying down as if 

 weary after the 

 long march, 

 others were tor- 

 menting their mothers for food, but nowhere 

 did there seem to be any apprehension of 

 evil, and the man, from a distance of some 

 fifty yards, was able to make his observations 

 undisturbed. Without alarming the herd, he 

 also withdrew to a safe distance, then, with 

 one enquiring glance towards the sky, which 

 seemed to afford him instantaneous information 

 as to his whereabouts, he struck into the forest, 

 taking a bee-line for his home. 



His progress at first was but slow ; he was 

 impeded by the luxuriance of the vegetation, 

 and had to stoop to avoid overhanging boughs, 

 or to climb over fallen stems ; but after an 

 hour or so of this work he emerged on a 



