Page 64 - Adventures in Africa

scattered, here and there two or three trees only grow­
ing together. In some places single trees alone

could be seen, rising1 in solitary grandeur from the
soil. I had just got up when I caught sight of an
elephant, which had come out from one of the clumps

I have mentioned, where it had probably been spend­
ing the hot hours of the day, and advanced slowly
towards me, now plucking a bunch of leaves with its

trunk, now pulling up a shrub or plant. Presently I
caught sight of a man with a gun in his hand coming
out from the forest to the left and making his way

towards where the elephant was feeding. He ap­
parently did not see the animal, which was hidden
from him by an intervening clump. When he got

closer I recognised my uncle. Wishing to warn him
of the neighbourhood of the elephant, I shouted as
loudly as I could baw l; but, from the distance we

were apart, he could not hear me. The elephant
also took no notice of my voice, but went on feeding
as before.

Presently my uncle came in sight of the monstrous
beast, which must have seen him at the same time,
for it ceased feeding and turned its head in the direc­

tion he was coming, Nothing daunted, my uncle
continued to advance, keeping, however, more to the
right, which would bring him towards the tree on

which I was perched. The elephant began to move
towards him. He quickened his pace— he was now
in the open ground, over which he was making his

way, exposed to great danger, lie was aware of
this and kept his gun ready to fire, though should he
miss, he would be at the mercy of the brute, I con-