Копи царя Соломона
An Elephant Hunt
Thekloofsinthehillswerecoveredwithdensebush,"idoro"bushasthenativescallit,andinsomeplaces,withthe"wacht-een-beche,"or"wait-a-littlethorn,"andthereweregreatquantitiesofthelovely"machabell"tree,ladenwithrefreshingyellowfruithavingenormousstones. Thistreeistheelephant’sfavouritefood,andtherewerenotwantingsignsthatthegreatbruteshadbeenabout,fornotonlywastheirspoorfrequent,butinmanyplacesthetreeswerebrokendownandevenuprooted. Theelephantisadestructivefeeder.
Oneevening,afteralongday’smarch,wecametoaspotofgreatloveliness. Atthefootofabush-cladhilllayadryriver-bed,inwhich,however,weretobefoundpoolsofcrystalwateralltroddenroundwiththehoof-printsofgame. Facingthishillwasapark-likeplain,wheregrewclumpsofflat-toppedmimosa,variedwithoccasionalglossy-leavedmachabells,andallroundstretchedtheseaofpathless,silentbush.
Asweemergedintothisriver-bedpathsuddenlywestartedatroopoftallgiraffes,whogalloped,orrathersailedoff,intheirstrangegait,theirtailsscrewedupovertheirbacks,andtheirhoofsrattlinglikecastanets. Theywereaboutthreehundredyardsfromus,andthereforepracticallyoutofshot,butGood,whowaswalkingahead,andwhohadanexpressloadedwithsolidballinhishand,couldnotresisttemptation. Liftinghisgun,heletdriveatthelast,ayoungcow.
