s.

"Come behind these bushes!" cried my uncle, "and don't move thence if
you value your life."

I felt as if my life was of very little value just then, for I could not
see how we were to escape being crushed by the huge monsters as they
rushed over us. My uncle fortunately possessed all the coolness
required by an elephant hunter.

"Fire at that fellow opposite," he cried. "I'll take the next, and
they'll probably turn aside."

We almost at the same moment pulled our triggers. The elephant at which
my uncle fired stopped short, then down it came with a crash on its
knees; while the one I aimed at rushed by with its companions, very
nearly giving me an ugly kick with its feet.

We had both dropped behind the bush the moment we had delivered our
fire. On went the creatures trumpeting with rage, and disappointed at
not finding us.

We were not free from danger, for it was possible that they might
return. As soon, therefore, as their tails had disappeared among the
brushwood, we reloaded and ran towards some trees, the trunks of which
would afford us some protection. Here we waited a short time in sight
of the elephant which lay dead on the ground. We could hear the
trumpeting of the others grow less distinct as they made their way
through the forest, either influenced by fear or excited by rage,
fancying they were still following us up.

"They will not come back for the present," said my uncle at length as we
issued out from among the trees, when he at once began to cut out the
tusks from the dead elephant. These he calculated weighed together
fully a hundred and ten pounds. This, however, was a greater weight
than he could carry, and he would not allow me to attempt to help him.

"You shall convey one of the feet to the camp, and we will try our skill
in cooking it," he said, dexterously cutting it off.

Taking a stick he ran it through the foot so that I could the more
easily carry it. He then having shouldered one of the tusks, we set out
for the camp, well satisfied with our day's sport.

As soon as we arrived we sent off Jan for the other tusk, as he could
easily find the way by the track we had made; while my uncle dug a hole
close to the fire, into which he raked a quantity of ashes, and then
covered it up. After some time he again scraped out the ashes, and
having wrapt the foot up in leaves, he put it into the hole, and covered
it up with hot earth. On the top of all he once more lit a fi