The Elephant 35 



independently of experience. It was in comparatively 

 early times that these events took place, before many 

 Europeans with rifles had gone into Africa, and when 

 elephants knew less about firearms than they did when 

 the big tusker nearly finished Andersson. "Three 

 princely bulls," says Colonel Gumming, "came up one 

 night to the fountain of La Bono." They knew that a 

 man was there, for they had got his wind. It is pos- 

 sible that they also knew he was not a native, but if 

 this were the case, that was all that they knew. 



The leader was mortally wounded at about ten paces 

 from the water, went off two hundred yards, "and there 

 stood, evidently dying." His companions paused, "but 

 soon one of them, the largest of the three, turned his 

 head towards the fountain once more, and very slowly 

 and warily came on." At this moment the wounded ele- 

 phant "uttered the cry of death and fell heavily to the 

 ground." The second one, still advancing, "examined 

 with his trunk every yard of ground before he trod on 

 it." Evidently there was no dancing, screaming horde of 

 negroes with assegais about ; equally sure was it that 

 danger threatened from human devices, and the elephant, 

 not being inspired as is commonly supposed, was looking 

 for the only peril he knew anything about ; that is to say, 

 a pit-fall. As for the explosion and flash, these most 

 probably were mistaken for thunder and lightning. In 

 this manner, and with frequent pauses, this animal went 

 round "three sides of the fountain, and then walked up 

 to within six or seven yards of the muzzles of the guns." 

 He was shot and disabled at the water's edge. By this 



