cry; but as he
moved, Von Bloom could hear a rumbling gurgling sound, as of water
dashing to and fro in his capacious stomach!

Von Bloom had taken up his position behind the trunk of a large tree.
The elephant had not yet seen him, and, perhaps, would have passed on
without knowing that he was there, had the hunter permitted him. The
latter even thought of such a thing, for although a man of courage, the
sight of the great forest giant caused him for a moment to quail.

But, again, the curving ivory gleamed in his eyes--again he remembered
the object that had brought him into that situation; he thought of his
fallen fortunes--of his resolve to retrieve them--of his children's
welfare.

These thoughts resolved him. His long roer was laid over a knot in the
trunk--its muzzle pointed at the forehead of the advancing elephant--his
eye gleamed through the sights--the loud detonation followed--and a
cloud of smoke for a moment hid everything from his view.

He could hear a hoarse, bellowing, trumpet-like sound--he could hear the
crashing of branches and the gurgling of water; and, when, the smoke
cleared away, to his chagrin he saw that the elephant was still upon his
feet, and evidently not injured in the least!

The shot had struck the animal exactly where the hunter had aimed it;
but, instead of inflicting a mortal wound, it had only excited the
creature to extreme rage. He was now charging about striking the trees
with his tusks, tearing branches off, and tossing them aloft with his
trunk--though all the while evidently in ignorance of what had tickled
him so impertinently upon the forehead!

Fortunately for Von Bloom, a good thick tree sheltered him from the view
of the elephant. Had the enraged animal caught sight of him at that
moment, it would have been all up with him; but the hunter knew this,
and had the coolness to remain close and quiet.

Not so with Swartboy. When the elephant moved forward, he and Hendrik
had crept after through the grove of mokhalas. They had even followed
him across the open ground into the bush, where Von Bloom awaited him.
On hearing the shot, and seeing that the elephant was still unhurt,
Swartboy's courage gave way; and leaving Hendrik, he ran back towards
the mokhala grove, shouting as he went.

His cries reached the ears of the elephant, that at once rushed off in
the direction in which he heard them. In a moment he emerged from the
bush, and, seeing Swartboy upon the open gr