ir Inyovu, when he suddenly called my attention to the sound of a
broken branch at some distance: we both knew that the noise was caused
by elephants. I wiped my honeyed hands and walked through the forest;
we shortly came on the fresh spoor of some cow-elephants, which were
attended by their calves. The traces were very recent, as some branches
and grass that the animals had placed their feet upon, had not yet
ceased springing up to regain the original position.

There was very little wind blowing, but what there was unfortunately
blew from us to the position which the elephants occupied. There was no
help for it, so I determined to approach them under these unfavourable
conditions. About fifty yards from where I guessed the elephants were
standing, the underwood was very thick. I pushed on carefully and
quietly, but soon found that these sagacious creatures knew all about my
approach. They shook the branches, grumbled, and trumpeted, as though
they really meant mischief. I certainly was not game to go in at them
here, as I could not tell in some places, had an elephant been within
five feet of me.

About twenty paces from this dense part, I had noticed, in passing, a
large tree and an open space around it: from the branches of the tree
the wild vine hung in thick clusters. I thought that if I mounted into
this tree I might have a view of some stray elephant, and therefore be
able to approach him with more certainty and get a safer shot at him. I
walked back, and placing my gun against the stem of the tree, caught
hold of the vine and hauled myself up into the branches; I purposed
looking round first, and then getting my guns up. No sooner was I up
aloft, than Inyovu, who seemed to think it rather lonely being left
down, placed his gun beside mine, and followed me into the tree.

As I could not see any elephants by carefully scanning the surrounding
bush, I was thinking about descending when a rustling amongst the
underwood at a few yards' distance attracted my attention.

Suddenly a cow-elephant made her appearance. She was not very large,
but I at once saw that she was destitute of teeth, and was of the class
that the Boers had told me were the most savage in a herd. She stuck
her ears out on each side of her head, and twisted her trunk about as
though smelling every breath of air. She then came a few yards
forwards, and gave a little scream; this seemed to be a sort of call,
that was immediately answ