f
the herd has to be even more careful in avoiding them. These hunters
usually hide behind bushes, and try to creep up to the elephants; and
when they are within a hundred yards of the elephants, they begin
shooting them. Then the leader of the herd has to prove his wisdom.

A foolish leader would stand still, or even try to charge the hunters;
and then more of the elephants would get killed. But a wise leader gives
the signal to _run away_ as soon as he hears the sound of the first gun;
then at most only one or two of the elephants are killed--and sometimes
none at all.

Why? Because to kill an elephant with a gun a hunter must hit him
exactly in one particular place on the body--behind the elephant's ear,
where the skin is thin. At the first shot the hunter may not hit the
elephant just there, but inflict only a trifling wound elsewhere on his
thick skin. So by running away at once an elephant may save his life.

But as all leaders are not so wise, the hunters usually manage to kill
one or two of the elephants. I may tell you that these hunters kill the
elephants merely to get their tusks, which they sell as ivory.

It is a shame to kill such wonderful animals just for money; and you
ought to know that in some parts of Africa almost all the elephants have
now been killed. If the hunters continue to do that, there will be no
elephants left in Africa in a few years. Then the hunters will not be
able to get the very ivory for the sake of which they now kill the
elephants.

But you will be pleased to know that in India and other countries of
Asia nobody is allowed to kill a wild elephant; for if anyone did so, he
would be put into jail. Special hunters are allowed to catch wild
elephants alive, as I have already told you; and then the elephants are
tamed and trained to do all kinds of useful work, such as to pile logs,
build bridges, make roads, and lay water-pipes (see Frontispiece). Some
of these elephants are also taught to do tricks in a circus, or to carry
grand people in a procession.

"Then how do people in India get their ivory, if they never kill an
elephant?" you may ask.

They get the ivory when the elephant dies naturally; and the ivory is
just as good then as before. Is not that very wise? The people of India
first get the help of the elephants in doing all their heavy work, and
at last they get the ivory also.

There are huge buildings in India, some of which are more than two
thousand years old, w