inutes later it came, the two huge beasts drawing apart, as by common
consent, to recover their breath. Like two immense statues they stood,
about twelve feet apart, motionless save for their heaving flanks and
their great twitching ears, the trunk of each upraised and thrown back
over the head as though to be out of harm's way; and I saw that both
were bleeding freely from several ghastly-looking wounds. The moment
was as favourable as any that I should be at all likely to get, for both
were standing practically broadside-on to me; therefore, glancing
quickly from one to the other, to determine the precise position of the
vital spot for which I intended to aim, I levelled and sighted the
weapon, pressed the trigger, and then, with a lightning movement of the
barrel, shifted my aim and again fired. The second report followed the
first at an interval of scarcely a second, and I heard the loud _clap
clap_ of both bullets as they struck; then the thick veil of powder
smoke enveloped me, and for a few seconds I could see nothing. While
still waiting for the smoke to disperse, I heard a heavy thud which told
me that at least one of the animals was down, and a moment or two later,
as the smoke gradually thinned, I dimly saw the second standing, with
legs wide apart, swaying a little and trembling violently. For a space
of time in which one might have slowly counted ten the great brute stood
thus; then, as he uttered a low moan, his mighty limbs suddenly
collapsed and he too sank to the ground with a thud that seemed to make
the very earth tremble. And at that precise moment there again broke
forth the same kind of uproar of alarmed trumpeting and swiftly moving
heavy bodies that had followed my first shot.

The sounds were this time of such a character as to indicate clearly
that the herd had been thoroughly alarmed and effectually stampeded;
therefore, after waiting some five minutes or so until the forest was
again silent, and it had become quite clear that none of the animals
were coming in our direction, we left our hiding place, and, taking
careful note of the spot where the two great tuskers lay, proceeded to
retrace our steps toward the place where we had left our horses. We
found them placidly grazing, and, springing into our saddles, started on
the back trail to meet the wagon, which I intended to outspan for the
night close to the outskirts of the forest, that we might not have far
to carry the ivory when we h