er his miraculous preservation, before he witnessed the death
of one of the hunters, a soldier, who had attracted the notice of a
large male elephant which had been driven out of the jungle. The fierce
animal gave chase to him, and caught him immediately under the height
where Mr Moodie and his brother were standing, carried the poor fellow
for some distance on his trunk, then threw him down, and stamping upon
him until he was quite dead, left the body for a short time. The
elephant then returned, as if to make sure of its destruction; for it
kneeled down on the body, and kneaded it with his fore-legs; then,
rising, it seized it again with its trunk, carried it to the edge of the
jungle, and hurled it into the bushes."

"Dreadful! I had no idea that there was such danger in an
elephant-hunt; yet I must say," continued Alexander, "that, although it
may appear foolishness, it only makes me more anxious to have one."

"Well, as we advance, you will have no want of opportunity; but it will
be better to get the Caffres to join us, which they will with great
delight."

"Why, they have no weapons, except their spears."

"None; but they will attack him with great success, as you will see;
they watch their opportunity as he passes, get behind, and drive their
spears into his body until the animal is exhausted from loss of blood,
and they are so quick that the elephant seldom is able to destroy one of
them. They consider the elephant of as high rank as one of their kings,
and it is very laughable to hear them, as they wound him, beg pardon of
him, and cry out, `Great man, don't be angry; great captain, don't kill
us.'"

"But how is it that they can approach so terrible an animal without
destruction?"

"It is because they do approach quite close to him. An elephant sees
but badly, except straight before him, and he turns with difficulty.
The Caffres are within three feet of his tail or flank when they attack,
and they attack him in the elephant-paths, which are too narrow for the
animal to turn without difficulty; the great risk that they run is from
another elephant breaking out to the assistance of the one attacked."

"The animals do assist each other, then?"

"Yes; there was a remarkable instance of it in the affair of Lieutenant
Moodie. I mentioned that it was a large male elephant which killed the
soldier just after Mr Moodie's escape. Shortly afterwards a shot from
one of the hunters broke the fore-leg of thi