t that for the first few miles the
other two had been obliged to support him. But elephants go very quick,
even when they seem to be travelling slowly, for shrub and creepers that
almost stop a man's progress are no hindrance to them. The three had
now turned to the left, and were travelling back again in a semicircular
line toward the mountains, probably with the idea of working round to
their old feeding grounds on the further side of the river.

"There was nothing for it but to follow their lead, and accordingly
we followed with industry. Through all that long hot day did we tramp,
passing quantities of every sort of game, and even coming across the
spoor of other elephants. But, in spite of my men's entreaties, I would
not turn aside after these. I would have those mighty tusks or none.

"By evening we were quite close to our game, probably within a quarter
of a mile, but the bush was dense, and we could see nothing of them, so
once more we must camp, thoroughly disgusted with our luck. That night,
just after the moon rose, while I was sitting smoking my pipe with my
back against a tree, I heard an elephant trumpet, as though something
had startled it, and not three hundred yards away. I was very tired, but
my curiosity overcame my weariness, so, without saying a word to any of
the men, all of whom were asleep, I took my eight-bore and a few spare
cartridges, and steered toward the sound. The game path which we had
been following all day ran straight on in the direction from which the
elephant had trumpeted. It was narrow, but well trodden, and the
light struck down upon it in a straight white line. I crept along it
cautiously for some two hundred yards, when it opened suddenly into a
most beautiful glade some hundred yards or more in width, wherein tall
grass grew and flat-topped trees stood singly. With the caution born of
long experience I watched for a few moments before I entered the glade,
and then I saw why the elephant had trumpeted. There in the middle of
the glade stood a large maned lion. He stood quite still, making a soft
purring noise, and waving his tail to and fro. Presently the grass about
forty yards on the hither side of him gave a wide ripple, and a lioness
sprang out of it like a flash, and bounded noiselessly up to the lion.
Reaching him, the great cat halted suddenly, and rubbed her head against
his shoulder. Then they both began to purr loudly, so loudly that I
believe that in the stillness o