with a violent effort, while the experienced
hunters pointed out the elephants, and consulted as to the best plan of
procedure.

There were fifty at least of the magnificent animals scattered in groups
over the bottom and sides of a valley about three miles in extent; some
were browsing on the succulent spekboom, of which they are very fond.
Others were digging up and feeding among the young mimosa-thorns and
evergreens. The place where the hunters stood was not suitable for an
attack. It was therefore resolved to move round to a better position.
As they advanced some of the groups of elephants came more distinctly
into view, but they seemed either not to observe, or to disregard, the
intruders.

"Why not go at 'em at once?" asked young Rivers in an impatient whisper.

"Because we don't want to be killed," was the laconic reply from
Diederik Muller.

"Don't you see," explained Van Dyk, with one of his quiet smiles, "that
the ground where the nearest fellows stand is not suitable for
horsemen?"

"Well, I don't see exactly, but I'll take your word for it."

While they were speaking, and riding through a meadow thickly studded
over with clumps of tall evergreens, Considine observed something moving
over the top of a bush close ahead of him.

"Look out there!" he exclaimed, but those in advance had already turned
the corner of a bush, and found themselves within a hundred paces of a
huge male elephant.

Jerry at once pointed the blunderbuss and shut his eyes, and would
infallibly have pulled the trigger, if Sandy Black, who had in some
measure become his keeper, had not seized his wrist and wrenched the
weapon from his grasp.

"Man, ye'll be the death o' somebody yet," he said in a low stern tone.

Jerry at once became penitent and on giving a solemn promise that he
would not fire till he obtained permission, received his weapon back.

"Een groot gruwzaam karl," whispered one of the Hottentots, in broken
Dutch.

"My certie, but he _is_ a great gruesome carl!" said Black, echoing in
Scotch the Dutchman's expression as he gazed in admiration.

"He's fourteen feet high if he's an inch," observed George Rennie.

The scent and hearing of the elephant are both keen, but his sight is
not very good. As the wind chanced to blow from him to the hunters he
had not perceived them. This was fortunate, for it would have been
highly dangerous to have attacked him in such ground. They wheeled
round therefore and gal