11 4 ADVENTURES OF AN ELEPHANT HUNTER ch. 
returned and, with astonishment written all over 
his black face, imparted the startling information 
that the elephant had vanished! So dumbfounded 
was I at this extraordinary news, that I told my 
tracker he must have taken leave of his senses, 
and poor Simba, feeling somewhat hurt at my 
casting ridicule on his statement, could only 
assert more positively than ever that he was 
speaking the truth. Knowing that my man was 
a most reliable and accurate native, I was at 
length obliged to credit his statement, and 
picking up my heavy rifle, I hastened in his 
company to where the elephant had fallen and 
lain. On arriving at the spot, we could see from 
the marks on the ground how the animal had 
struggled to regain his feet, and how from the 
trunks of some of the surrounding trees he 
had scrubbed patches of bark as he had 
lurched against them in an effort to steady 
himself. On following up his spoor, we also learnt 
from the impressions made by his toes in the 
ground, and the way in which the grass had 
been brushed aside, how his manner of pro¬ 
gression had gradually changed from staggering 
to a firm gait, and from a firm gait to a good 
steady pace. For six solid hours, we kept 
relentlessly on his tracks, but had utterly failed 
to come up with him when night put an end 
