avy charges as those he had in it
previously; and having placed the caps carefully on, and taking a glance
of pride at the game he had "bagged," he ran after Simba and Moto. His
two friends he found firing, running, and loading as fast as they could;
not a very hard task when the animals were so badly wounded. His nimble
feet soon carried him nearer them, and after dodging and running as he
had been directed to, as he was pursued by one or the other of the
elephants, he had the satisfaction at last of seeing both stand still.
Retreating a little distance from view, he took a circuit round, and
then returned, taking advantage of every tree, and by great caution
succeeded in coming behind a large tree at the distance of twelve paces
from one of them. Lifting his gun, already cocked, to his shoulders, he
took aim again behind the ears, and fired the two barrels once more,
which was met with the same fatal result, for the elephant, after
beating the air with his forelegs for a short time, swayed pitifully,
and fell over, dead.

But Selim had no time to make these observations, for the other elephant
turned short round and charged at the tree. Selim stood his ground
until the tree had almost been reached, when, dropping the gun on the
ground, he started off for another tree, the elephant in hot pursuit
after him. To the right, to the left, forwards and backwards, from tree
to tree, Selim ran, until the elephant, to his astonishment, suddenly
stopped, the hind-legs doubled under him, the forelegs bent, and his
head came to the ground heavily, and in this kneeling position the poor
elephant breathed his last.

Selim had his gun brought to him by Simba, who lavished praises, almost
fulsome, on his bravery and accuracy of shooting, in which Moto, who now
came up, joined with heart and spirit. Simba, while he embraced his
young master, would have it that Selim was the best elephant hunter
known; there never was such an Arab boy before, who shot two elephants
dead one after another. "And thou must consider, Moto," said he,
apologetically, "Selim is but sixteen; if he shoots two elephants, one
after another, when he is sixteen, what will he do when he is a grown
man?"

"True," answered Moto, "when he is double his age he will shoot four one
after another. Selim is a great hunter truly. I wonder what the Watuta
have done. Whisht! hear their cries! Their elephant is dead. We must
go to see them. Or do thou stop with S