ent I thought the tree would be
uprooted or snapped in two. Thank Heaven! it held, but the vibration was
such that Hans and I were nearly shaken out of the upper branches, like
autumn apples from a bough. Indeed, I think I should have gone had not
the monkey-like Hans, who had toes to cling with as well as fingers,
gripped me by the collar.

Thrice did Jana repeat this manoeuvre, and at the third onslaught I saw
to my horror that the roots were loosening. I heard some of them snap,
and a crack appeared in the ground not far from the bole. Fortunately
Jana never noted these symptoms, for abandoning a plan which he
considered unavailing, he stood for a while swaying his trunk and lost
in gentle thought.

"Hans," I whispered, "load the rifle quick! I can get him in the spine
or the other eye."

"Wet powder won't go off, Baas," groaned Hans. "The water got to it in
the river."

"No," I answered, "and it is all your fault for making me shoot at him
when I could take no aim."

"It would have been just the same, Baas, for the rifle went under water
also when we fell from the camel, and the cap would have been damp, and
perhaps the powder too. Also the shot made Jana stop for a moment."

This was true, but it was maddening to be obliged to sit there with an
empty gun, when if I had but one charge, or even my pistol, I was sure
that I could have blinded or crippled this satanic pachyderm.

A few minutes later Jana played his last card. Coming quite close to
the trunk of the tree he reared himself up as before, but this time
stretched out his forelegs so that these and his body were supported on
the broad bole. Then he elongated his trunk and with it began to break
off boughs which grew between us and him.

"I don't think he can reach us," I said doubtfully to Hans, "that is,
unless he brings a stone to stand on."

"Oh! Baas, pray be silent," answered Hans, "or he will understand and
fetch one."

Although the idea seemed absurd, on the whole I thought it well to take
the hint, for who knew how much this experienced beast did or did not
understand? Then, as we could go no higher, we wriggled as far as we
dared along our boughs and waited.

Presently Jana, having finished his clearing operations, began to
lengthen his trunk to its full measure. Literally, it seemed to expand
like a telescope or an indiarubber ring. Out it came, foot after foot,
till its snapping tip was waving within a few inches of us, just short
of