y had had first-rate
sport, and secured some magnificent teeth. One morning, at earliest
dawn, some Makobas punted their dug-out canoes across the river, and
reported that a good troop of elephants had drunk during the night. For
a consideration they would take the hunters across. All was now bustle
and excitement in the camp. Jan Steyn and his two eldest sons and the
captain were soon equipped. They swallowed a hasty breakfast, and then,
walking their horses down to the river, got into the boats and swam
their nags over behind them. There was some risk from crocodiles, but
the feat was safely accomplished. Then they took up the spoor in
earnest. Some Masarwa bushmen tracked for them, and they rode at a
brisk pace upon the trail, hour after hour, until noon had come and the
sun lay midway in the sky between north-east and north-west. At
half-past twelve they came suddenly upon the elephants in some
troublesome thorny bush. There were eighteen in all, and some good
bulls among them. Meredith quickly got to work and slew two magnificent
bulls, carrying long, even teeth, after a hot and most exciting chase.
He next tackled a big cow, furnished with a capital pair of tusks.
After a sharp gallop he got alongside and put a four-ounce ball, backed
with seven drachms of powder (those were the days of smooth-bores and
heavy charges), behind her shoulder. But, stricken though she was, the
cow was by no means finished. She turned short in her tracks, and,
spouting blood, came with a ferocious scream straight for her tormentor.

Meredith had instantly turned his horse and spurred for flight. But, as
it happened, in a hundred yards he was met by an absolutely impassable
_cul-de-sac_ of thorn-bush. Almost before horse and man knew where they
were, they were caught up and flung to earth. The great cow drove her
left tusk deep into the off flank of the horse, and hurled the poor
brute and its rider away from her in one confused and bleeding mass.
Before she could halt and turn again, the impetus of her ferocious
charge took her thirty yards farther, right through that seemingly
impenetrable wall of bush. It was her last effort. The heavy bullet
had done its work. Thrice she lifted her blood-dripping trunk as if for
air. Then she swayed softly to and fro, and suddenly sank down upon
all-fours, as if kneeling, and so yielded up her fifty years of life.

Meredith himself was found by his native boy ten minutes afterwar