ELEPHANT HUNTING 
259 
the hunt, the death of the elephant, and the power of the 
rifles; and gradually, as they got farther ahead, the more 
light-hearted among them began to give way to their spirits 
and they came into camp frolicking, gambolling, and dan¬ 
cing as if they were still the naked savages that they had 
been before they became the white man’s followers. 
Two days later Kermit got his bull. He and Tarlton 
had camped about ten miles off in a magnificent forest, 
and late the first afternoon received news that a herd of ele¬ 
phants was in the neighborhood. They were off by dawn, 
and in a few hours came on the herd. It consisted chiefly 
of cows and calves, but there was one big master bull, with 
fair tusks. It was open forest with long grass. By careful 
stalking they got within thirty yards of the bull, behind 
whom was a line of cows. Kermit put both barrels of his 
heavy double .450 into the tusker’s head, but without even 
staggering him; and as he walked off Tarlton also fired 
both barrels into him, with no more effect; then, as he 
slowly turned, Kermit killed him with a shot in the brain 
from the .405 Winchester. Immediately the cows lifted 
their ears, and began trumpeting and threatening; if they 
had come on in a body at that distance, there was not 
much chance of turning them or of escaping from them: 
and after standing stock still for a minute or two, Kermit 
and Tarlton stole quietly off for a hundred yards, and 
waited until the anger of the cows cooled and they had 
moved away, before going up to the dead bull. Then they 
followed the herd again, and Kermit got some photos 
which, as far as I know, are better than any that have 
ever before been taken of wild elephant. He took them 
close up, at imminent risk of a charge. 
