54 THE ELEPHANT 



than I heard a short trumpet, and looked up just 

 in time to see his great, grey stern disappearing 

 into the forest whence they had emerged. To 

 take up the spoor of the fleeing elephants was the 

 work of a moment, and in less than an hour we 

 were once more drawing up to them. Again the 

 advance was regulated at a slow pace as, listening 

 intently, step by step, we quietly drew near. All 

 at once, down on our left, we heard an elephant 

 blowing through his trunk ; a sound not unlike 

 some immense stallion blowing through his 

 nostrils. I took my double '450 cordite rifle and, 

 followed by the hunter bearing a spare weapon, 

 advanced in the direction of the sound. Presently, 

 down in a hollow still more to our left, we heard 

 the well-remembered rumbling and, advancing to 

 a cover of brushwood, frequently testing the light, 

 variable morning breeze, I reached a point on the 

 edge of the slight declivity at the foot of which, 

 and at no greater distance than 40 yards or so, the 

 five elephants were standing listening intently and 

 evidently very suspicious. Alas, they had halted 

 in grass which reached a point high enough com- 

 pletely to mask their ivory, and, as we looked down 

 upon them, we sought in vain for some indication 

 to show which was the fine tusker who had dis- 

 played himself to us so short a time before. There 

 they stood, one or two with ears and trunk ex- 

 tended to catch the slightest sound or taint, the 

 remainder with an expression as of heedless 

 contempt for their over-cautious companions' 

 ill-timed suspicions. Which was the big one ? 

 Some few moments passed thus until, after a long 



