io 4 ADVENTURES OF AN ELEPHANT HUNTER ch. 
necessitated my tracking him very slowly and 
cautiously through the dense cover once more. 
Shortly afterwards, we again came out into the 
open, and seizing the opportunity afforded by this 
favourable circumstance, I dropped the monster (he 
was the largest of the three) with a brain-shot right 
THE DEAD MONSTER 
through the forehead. A most extraordinary inci¬ 
dent now occurred : just as the elephant fell, one of 
his companions, who was some distance on the other 
side of him, at once doubled back and, approaching 
his fallen friend, gave him a couple of tremendous 
prods with his tusks. I was thunderstruck, and can 
only explain the brute’s action as an attempt to 
rouse his comrade, in order that he might escape the 
