Page 174 - Adventures in Africa

C H A P T E R IX.

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 liim, but my uncle urged us to persevere,
for by the largo 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 ammu­
nition and our rifles, but we were encouraged to pro­

ceed by finding that the elephant was slackening his
pace*

“ W e shall catch him before lon g!” exclaimed my
uncle. "O n, on. Tf that lion hadn’t interfered, X
should have shot him at once ; but the brute's lair

must have been close to where T stood, and I ran a
fearful chance of being seized by him,”

W e did not see what had become of the other
elephants, and we concluded that either Mr. Welbourn
had disposed of them, or that they had run into the

forest to conceal themselves. However, we soon saw
that the attempt to overtake the elephant on foot was
useless. W e therefore made a short cut back to where

we had left our horses. Each of us mounting one,