252 
AFRICAN GAME TRAILS 
bulk of a charging bull elephant, the matted mass of tough 
creepers snapping like packthread before his rush. He was 
so close that he could have touched me with his trunk. 
I leaped to one side and dodged behind a tree trunk, 
opening the rifle, throwing out the empty shells, and slipping 
in two cartridges. Meanwhile Cuninghame fired right and 
left, at the same time throwing himself into the bushes on 
the other side. Both his bullets went home, and the bull 
stopped short in his charge, wLeeled, and immediately 
disappeared in the thick cover. We ran forward, but the 
forest had closed over his wake. We heard him trumpet 
shrilly, and then all sounds ceased. 
The ’Ndorobo, who had quite properly disappeared 
when this second bull charged, now went forward and soon 
returned with the report that he had fled at speed, but was 
evidently hard hit, as there was much blood on the spoor. 
If we had been only after ivory we should have followed 
him at once; but there was no telling how long a chase he 
might lead us; and as we desired to save the skin of the 
dead elephant entire, there was no time whatever to spare. 
It is a formidable task, occupying many days, to preserve 
an elephant for mounting in a museum, and if the skin is 
to be properly saved, it must be taken off without an hour’s 
unnecessary delay. 
So back we turned to where the dead tusker lay, and I 
felt proud indeed as I stood by the immense bulk of the 
slain monster and put my hand on the ivory. The tusks 
weighed a hundred and thirty pounds the pair. There 
was the usual scene of joyful excitement among the gun- 
bearers—who had behaved excellently—and among the 
wild bush people who had done the tracking for us; and, as 
