came full in sight of one of them. Cautiously advancing, and looking to
my right, I next discovered his comrade, standing in a thicket of low
wait-a-bits, within a hundred and fifty yards of me; they were both
first-rate old bulls, with enormous tusks of great length. I dismounted,
and warily approached the second elephant for a closer inspection of his
tusks. As I drew near, he slightly turned his head, and I then perceived
that his farther one was damaged toward the point; while at the same
instant his comrade, raising his head clear of the bush on which he
browsed, displayed to my delighted eyes a pair of the most beautiful and
perfect tusks I had ever seen.

Regaining my horse, I advanced toward this elephant, and when within
forty yards of him, he walked slowly on before me in an open space, his
huge ears gently flapping, and entirely concealing me from his view.
Inclining to the left, I slightly increased my pace, and walked past him
within sixty yards, upon which he observed me for the first time; but
probably mistaking "Sunday" for a hartebeest, he continued his course
with his eye upon me, but showed no symptoms of alarm. The natives had
requested me to endeavor, if possible, to hunt him toward the water,
which lay in a northerly direction, and this I resolved to do. Having
advanced a little, I gave him my wind, when he was instantly alarmed,
and backed into the bushes, holding his head high and right to me. Thus
he stood motionless as a statue, under the impression, probably, that,
owing to his Lilliputian dimensions, I had failed to observe him, and
fancying that I would pass on without detecting him. I rode slowly on,
and described a semicircle to obtain a shot at his shoulder, and halting
my horse, fired from the saddle; he got it in the shoulder-blade, and,
as slowly and silently I continued my course, he still stood gazing at
me in utter astonishment. Bill and Flam were now slipped by the natives,
and in another moment they were barking around him. I shouted loudly to
encourage the dogs and perplex the elephant, who seemed puzzled to know
what to think of us, and, shrilly trumpeting, charged headlong after the
dogs. Retreating, he backed into the thicket, then charged once more,
and made clean away, holding the course I wanted. When I tried to fire,
"Sunday" was very fidgety, and destroyed the correctness of my aim.
Approaching the elephant, I presently dismounted, and, running in, gave
him two fine shots