ELEPHANT HUNTING 
267 
ters as to insure a charge, and we moved in cautious silence, 
our rifles in our hands. Rhinoceros were especially plenti¬ 
ful, and we continually came across not only their tracks, 
but the dusty wallows in which they rolled, and where 
they came to deposit their dung. The fresh sign of elephant, 
however, distracted our attention from the lesser game, 
and we followed the big footprints eagerly, now losing the 
trail, now finding it again. At last near a clump of big trees 
we caught sight of three huge, dark bodies ahead of us. 
The wind was right, and we stole toward them, Kermit 
leading, and I immediately behind. Through the tangled 
branches their shapes loomed in vague outline; but we 
saw that one had a pair of long tusks, and our gun-bearers 
unanimously pronounced it a big bull, with good ivory. 
A few more steps gave Kermit a chance at its head, at about 
sixty yards, and with a bullet from his .405 Winchester he 
floored the mighty beast. It rose, and we both fired in 
unison, bringing it down again; but as we came up it 
struggled to get on its feet, roaring savagely, and once more 
we both fired together. This finished it. We were dis¬ 
appointed at finding that it was not a bull; but it was a 
large cow, with tusks over five feet long—a very unusual 
length for a cow—one weighing twenty-five, and the other 
twenty-two pounds. 
Our experience had convinced us that both the Win¬ 
chester .405, and the Springfield .300 would do good work 
with elephants; although I kept to my belief that, for such 
very heavy game, my Holland .500-.450 was an even better 
weapon. 
Not far from where this elephant fell Tarlton had, the 
year before, witnessed an interesting incident. He was 
