18 4 * ADVENTURES OF AN ELEPHANT HUNTER ch. xviii 
burnt by native bush fires somewhat earlier in the 
year, I decided to wait and see if the animal would 
venture out of cover and give me an unobstructed 
field for shooting. A few seconds afterwards, he 
reached the verge of the long grass, about a 
hundred yards from where we lay expectant, so 
bidding my tracker Hyiali stay behind and take 
charge of Whisky, I gradually crept on hands and 
knees towards my quarry, Ntawasie, my second 
tracker, crawling stealthily in my wake with my light 
rifle. The elephant, who, I could see, had a 
magnificent pair of tusks, sticking fully five feet out 
of his head, had now partially emerged from the 
jungle, so motioning to Ntawasie to stay where he 
was, I stole forward, feeling quite confident of bag¬ 
ging him with the first or second shot. Nearer and 
nearer I crept, and was about fifty yards from the 
elephant, when I heard a furious growling behind 
me, and, next moment, Whisky, who had evidently 
slipped his leash, bounded past me and dashed 
straight towards the tusker. I instantly raised my 
rifle, fully expecting that the elephant, warned by 
Whisky of our presence, would clear back into the 
long grass : but instead of doing so, he came 
quickly forward, as if wondering what new species 
of animal he had suddenly come across, As he was 
now only forty yards off and presenting a perfect 
view for a shot, I felt that I could place a bullet in 
