306 
THE ELEPHANT. 
of the animals is one of intense interest. Not a 
word is spoken; you steal noiselessly on from bush 
to bush, and occasionally a savage ascends a con¬ 
spicuous tree to reconnoitre. 
All at once the man in advance comes to a stand¬ 
still, and, pushing the branches cautiously aside, 
points to some dark, gigantic, and immovable masses 
a short distance a-head. At first sight, their statue¬ 
like and motionless appearance makes you almost 
question the reality. But the occasional flapping 
of the immense appendage, the ear, so conspicuous 
in the African species, quickly dispels your doubts. 
Those ponderous groups are, indeed, a herd of 
elephants. 
The “ trackers ” now fall back— their work is 
clone, yours still remains. Grasping the trusty 
rifle, you advance with a beating heart. One 
towering form appears above the rest; a glance at 
his head shows two enormous alabaster teeth. To 
him, as a matter of course, you direct your steps; 
you are within twenty paces of this monster of 
flesh ; your finger is on the trigger. But, lo ! he 
suspects treachery. Raising his “wand” on high, 
and hoisting his “ studding-sails,” he takes a step 
or tw r o backwards, evidently preparing to charge 
down upon you. This is a thrilling moment to the 
sportsman. No time, however, is to be lost; you 
pull the trigger, and the next instant the bullet is 
well home in the beast’s body. Should you have 
merely dealt him a flesh-wound, the chances are 
small of your coming up with him, either on that 
day or any other; but if, on the contrary, the missile 
