earts of the
hunters, unpractised as some of them were.

Still another consideration had its effect upon their minds,
particularly on that of the Bushman. There was every reason to believe
that the animal was a "rover,"--what among Indian hunters is termed a
"rogue." Elephants of this kind are far more dangerous to approach than
their fellows. In fact, under ordinary circumstances, there is no more
danger in passing through a herd of elephants than there would be in
going among a drove of tame oxen. It is only when the elephant has been
attacked or wounded, that he becomes a dangerous enemy.

With regard to the "rover" or "rogue," the case is quite different. He
is habitually vicious; and will assail either man or any other animal on
sight, and without the slightest provocation. He seems to take a
pleasure in destruction, and woe to the creature who crosses his path
and is not of lighter heels than himself!

The rover leads a solitary life, rambling alone through the forest, and
never associating with others of his kind. He appears to be a sort of
outlaw from his tribe, banished for bad temper or some other fault, to
become more fierce and wicked in his outlawry.

There were good reasons for fearing that the elephant they were spooring
was a "rover." His being alone was of itself a suspicious circumstance,
as elephants usually go, from two to twenty, or even fifty, in a herd.
The traces of ruin he had left behind him, his immense spoor, all seemed
to mark him out as one of these fierce creatures. That such existed in
that district they already had evidence. Swartboy alleged that the one
killed by the rhinoceros was of this class, else he would not have
attacked the latter as he had done. There was a good deal of probability
in this belief of the Bushman.

Under these impressions, then, it is less to be wondered, that our
hunters felt some apprehensions of danger from the game they were
pursuing.

The spoor grew fresher and fresher. The hunters saw trees turned bottom
upward, the roots exhibiting the marks of the elephant's teeth, and
still wet with the saliva from his vast mouth. They saw broken branches
of the mimosa giving out their odour, that had not had time to waste
itself. They concluded the game could not be distant.

They rounded a point of timber--the Bushman being a little in the
advance.

Suddenly Swartboy stopped and fell back a pace. He turned his face upon
his companions. His eyes rolled faster