the wants of his people, and he wished I would set
out at once and kill more; so I took five of their
number, and again went into the bush. We had not
been five minutes away from the spot where I had
just slain the elephant, and from which we could
hear shouts and all sorts of human noises, when I
was surprised to hear loud trumpeting not thirty feet
away from me. A t the sound my five guides left
me, and I whispered to my gun-bearers that they
must stand by me.
We cautiously peered through the bush, and I could
see the outlines of an enormous male elephant, armed *
with beautiful tusks, and standing broadside to me,
with his trunk raised high in the air, as if trying to
find us. I aimed directly at his shoulder, and fired;
then, waiting until the smoke cleared, I fired my second
barrel. Again the dreadful trumpeting and cracking
of bush. I could see nothing, but I hastened to
throw myself out of the path, and my example was
speedily followed by my gun-bearers. We had scarcely
done so, when seven elephants passed within one foot
of our prostrate forms. This was hot work, and I
began to think the game was not worth the candle.
Owing to the dense bush, I could not see more than
one beast at a time, but there always seemed to be
nearly six or seven. As soon as I fired, they dashed
rapidly down-wind, and, as one goes up-wind to get
elephants, I was always directly in their path. The
range is so close that there is not time to reload;
and even if one does reload, the brutes are upon one
ere aim can be taken and a shot fired. It is most
dangerous work, but exhilarating.
When the elephants passed by, I went on, and
found plenty of blood, but no elephant. We searched
about in the bush, and finding no further signs I decided
to go farther and try again. My guides returned
in a moment, and were much disappointed at learning
that there was no meat for them; but upon my assurance
of more success another time, we again set out
always, of course, up-wind. After a lapse of about
twenty minutes, we reached a place where the bush
was more open; and there I suddenly came upon a
herd of six elephants, standing in a.line and placidly
feeding. I wished to kill the largest of the six, and,
in order to get a good shot at him, it was necessary
for me to make a slight change in my position. As
I was doing so, the entire herd became conscious of
my proximity, and charged down-wind, but fortunately
in single file. I had time to leap to one side, and
fire, but at such close range that the barrel of my
rifle touched the hide of the animal I shot at. There
was no apparent result; so, being tired out with the
work of the day, I returned to the first elephant we
had killed, and, taking the' tusks, returned to camp,
which I reached after dark. The next morning after
dawn all the men of the Wanderobbo village who were
able to walk, together with seventeen donkeys, passed
our camp on their way to get the meat. The donkeys
carried curious saddles. They consisted of a net
like a snowshoe, made of strips of skin stretched on
an oval frame, one for each side. These were held
in place by straps, and between them was piled the
meat.
I followed them to the elephant, which by this time