hing the tree I instantly began to reload,
hoping to have time to give the elephant another shot as he passed me;
for, though he had seen me for a moment, I knew that he would go
straight on without looking behind the tree. But, even before he had
got up to the spot, down he fell on his knees, crushing several young
trees. At the same moment I heard Harry cry out, and leaving my own
prize I dashed forward to his assistance. I was just in time to see the
elephant, with his trunk uplifted, close to Harry, who had not had time
to reload or take shelter behind a tree. I fired, aiming behind the ear
of the elephant, when down it came, as mine had done, prostrate on the
ground. If my uncle had been equally successful, we should have made a
grand haul. Without stopping to finish off our elephants, we hurried in
the direction we supposed him to be, reloading as we went. We uttered a
loud shout to attract his attention. It was replied to by a tremendous
roar; and, instead of an elephant, what was our surprise to see an
enormous lion lashing its tail and looking up at the branches of a tree,
among which we discovered my uncle; and he must have had a narrow
escape, for he was only just beyond reach of the brute, who might, it
seemed to us, by making a desperate spring, have struck him down. We
had now to look out for ourselves, for should the lion discover us,
unless we could kill him at once, he might tear us to pieces.
Fortunately another tree of considerable girth, and in the position we
desired, was close at hand. We retreated behind it. As the lion turned
his head and we thought might be looking for us, we both fired. To our
great delight we rolled him over where he stood.

"Bravo! Well done!" cried my uncle, descending the tree. "We'll now go
after my elephant."

Leading the way, without exchanging further words, he dashed out of the
forest.

CHAPTER NINE.

On getting out from among the trees we caught sight of an elephant going
along at full swing across the plain. There seemed but little chance of
our overtaking him, but my uncle urged us to persevere, for by the large
blotches and splashes of blood which we met with, it was evident that he
was wounded. It was pretty hot work, as we were loaded with our
ammunition and our rifles, but we were encouraged to proceed by finding
that the elephant was slackening his pace.

"We shall catch him before long!" exclaimed my uncle. "On, on. If that
lion had