not to be regarded as a wonder that, when the
party, early in the day, were passing a thicket out of which glided a
very large serpent, the major should give a shout and incontinently
discharge both barrels at it simultaneously. It chanced to be a python
of great size, full fifteen feet long, and thicker than a man's thigh,
but a really harmless species of serpent. The major, however, did not
know this, or did not care. His shots, although fired at random, hit
the creature in the spine; nevertheless it retained power to raise its
head fully five feet in the air, and to open its mouth in a very
threatening manner within a few feet of the major's face. This was more
than he could bear. He turned, dropped his gun, and fled like a maniac,
while his comrades, who had recognised the species of serpent, stood
laughing at him heartily. He did not stop until he dashed headlong into
a thicket, far away to the right of their line of march. Here the
"wait-a-bit" thorns effectually checked his progress.

Now it chanced that in this very thicket, which would have been passed
by unnoticed but for the python, there was a portly young female
elephant with a very stout little daughter. Amazed at the very sudden
and reckless intrusion of the sportsman, this anxious mother at once
sounded her war-trumpet and charged. The major turned and fled back to
his friends as fast as he had run away from them. The elephant did not
follow, but the hunters, having discovered her retreat, were not slow to
follow and attack her.

As they drew near, the mother elephant set herself on the danger side of
her little one, and putting her proboscis over it, as if to assure it of
protection, urged it to run, which it did pretty smartly. But neither
of them galloped; their quickest pace was only a sharp walk, which,
however, was quick enough to oblige the pursuers to run at full speed.
The big one frequently glanced back, apparently to see if she were
gaining ground, and then looked at her young one and ran after it,
sometimes sideways, as if her feelings were divided between anxiety to
protect her offspring and desire to revenge the temerity of her
persecutors. The hunters kept about a hundred yards in her rear, and as
they were pretty sure of securing her, the European sportsmen held back,
in order to have an opportunity of witnessing the method of attack
practised by the band of natives who were with them.

Presently they came to a rivulet, and