CHAP. III BIG GAME SHOOTING, 1887 49 
and as we advanced, fragments of creeper, evidently torn down 
by the elephants, lay across our path. 
We soon came to the fresh tracks of a herd which must have 
passed early in the day, and the Midgdns began to follow the 
footprints with great interest. The signs became every moment 
more distinct ; at one spot the elephants had taken a long halt, 
rolling in the sand ; and after half an hour’s tracking we found 
evidences that we were quite close to them. Sitting down with 
one of the Midgans, I sent the other up a small hill to look 
around; he soon returned, whispering “ Maréd:, Maréd:/” 
(Elephants). Having joined us, he shaded his eyes to have 
another look, and then stretching out his hand, he pointed to 
two reddish brown spots among the lower branches of a clump 
of high trees on the farther side of a glade. As we looked six 
large elephants and four calves walked solemnly by twos or in 
single file out into the open. Even in this:moment of excite- 
ment—for I had never seen a wild elephant before—I noticed 
the huge ears of the African species, the high forequarters and 
quick, active pace, and a beautiful sight it was! Swinging 
their heads from side to side, they crossed the glade and 
entered a clump of trees. Here they stopped and began feeding 
about, the swaying and snapping of the branches, and the 
peculiar low rumbling which they give out when feeding, 
indicating where they stood, though we could not see them. 
The Midgdns, who were new to the work of attacking 
elephants on foot, did not quite like the prospect of going with 
me into the middle of the herd, so taking the four-bore, and 
telling them to watch from a low hill, I began creeping into the 
jungle alone. In thick forests the chief difficulty of elephant- 
hunting consists in picking out the one with the best tusks, and 
then getting close up to it without being winded or seen by the 
others. 
I threw up some sand to try the direction of the wind, and 
then advanced very silently for a hundred yards into the thickest 
jungle. I heard the rustle of some creepers in front of me, and 
then peeping through the underwood I saw three elephants 
fanning themselves with their ears under a very large camel- 
thorn-tree, whose branches rose to a flat fan shape high above 
their heads. It was from this thorn-tree that one of them had 
just been pulling down the creepers. From my left came the 
rumbling sound made by a fourth elephant, but I could see 
nothing there. I had on entering the jungle unconsciously 
E 
