was only
when she had fully satisfied herself that it was dead, that she called
her little one to her side. Standing in the bed of the stream, the two
sucked in vast volumes of water, discharging it into their mouths, and
having satisfied their thirst, the old one began spouting the water over
the back of its young. Ever ready to fire, the hunter watched them, for
a quarter of an hour; but now the increasing coldness of the morning
warned him that dawn was at hand. The heavier rifle had not yet been
used. Taking a deliberate aim, he fired. For a moment the huge mass
stood firm and unmoved; the next, turning, the elephant crashed through
the bush towards the forest, the young one remaining standing in the
river, as though wondering what all the noise was about. Covering him
with the second barrel, and dreadfully vexed at his failure, Captain
Hughes was about to fire, when the larger elephant, missing its young,
stopped, and began calling it. Quickly changing his aim, the report of
the rifle rang out, the explosive ball striking the elephant behind the
shoulder, and taking an upward direction. Moving heavily forward, the
enormous bulk of the animal seemed to waver, and sway from side to side.
Once it fell on its knees, recovered itself, and then gained the
forest, disappearing with her young under the trees, the crash of
breaking wood making itself heard once, and then all was still. The
cries of the jackals and hyenas gradually ceased, the air became colder
and colder as the dawn appeared, the light of the moon paled, and the
noise of the falling water, with the occasional croak of a frog along
the river bank, were soon the only sounds disturbing the stillness of
the African plain, as, covered with the blood of the wounded baboon,
soiled with wet and sand, his limbs stiff with cold and watching, as
well as worn out with excitement, the weary hunter took his way up the
mountain slopes, to where he knew he should find the camp.

Volume 1, Chapter VIII.

THE RUINS AT SOFALA.

Long before the tired hunter woke, a party headed by the missionary had
brought in the carcass of the lion, as well as those of the springbok
and panther, and strange to say, the baboon had followed them, refusing
to be driven away. It was in vain to pelt it with sticks and stones,
for dashing away into the bush it would climb a tree, making the most
hideous grimaces, chattering and crying, but the moment all was quiet,
back it would come