Part 12 (1/2)

The next , Swanevelt and Bremen went down the banks of the river, and discovered the body of the hippopotaons, sent the Caffres to cut it up; but before the Caffres belonging to the caravan could arrive there, they found that the work had been done for the was left but the bones of the animal; but this is always considered fair in the Caffre-land; every one helps hie anih he may have had no hand in its destruction The number of elephant-paths noed them that they were surrounded by these anie herds close to them

It was therefore proposed by the Major, that they should have a grand elephant-hunt, at which all the Caffres of their own party and the natives of the country should assist This proposal was joyfully received by all, especially the natives, ere delighted at such an opportunity of having the assistance of the white uns; and the next day was appointed for the sport By the advice of the natives, the caravan proceeded some miles down to the eastward, to the borders of a very thick forest, where they stated that the elephants were to be found

They arrived at the spot in the afternoon, and every one was busy inday The Hottentots, who had been used to the sport, told long stories to those who had not, and, a Adae fires were lighted that night, for fear that the elephants should break into the caht their cries were to be heard in the forest, and occasionally the breaking of the branches of the trees proved that they were close to the caravan Beguer, crept to Major Henderson's bed, and would reh he several ti continued alarms, the caravan was, however, un e concourse of Caffres in the ca till our travelers were ready for the sport Having made a hasty breakfast, they, by the advice of the Caffres, did not mount their horses, but started on foot, as the Caffres stated that the elephants were on the side of the hill Ascending by an elephant-path, in less than half an hour they arrived at the top of the hill, when a grand and nificent panorama was spread before them From the crown of the hill they looked down upon a valley studded with cluround, and the whole face of the valley was covered with elephants There could not have been less than nine hundred at one tiht, every green knoll, was dotted with groups of six or seven, some of their vast bodies partly concealed by the trees upon which they were browsing, others walking in the open plain, bearing in their trunks a long branch of a tree, hich they evidently protected thee bodies of the anie tiave an idea of nature on her grandest scale

After a few minutes' survey, they turned to the party ere collected behind theave notice that they were to coave their orders, and the bands of nativesany noise froht with them in numerous packs

Our travelers were to leeward of the herd on the hill where they stood, and as it was the intention of the natives to drive the animals toward them, the Caffre warriors as well as the Hottentots all took up positions on the hill ready to attack the animals as they were driven that way

About an hour passed ahen the signal was given by soained the side of the valley to ard of the elephants Perched up at various high spots, they shouted with stentorian lungs, and their shouts were answered by the rest of the Caffres on every side of the valley, so that the elephants found themselves encompassed on all sides, except on that where the hill rose from the valley As the Caffres closed in, their shouts reverberating fros, became tremendous; and the elephants, alarmed, started first to one side of the valley, then to the other, hastily retreating fro their long ears and tru loudly, as with uplifted trunks they trotted to and fro

At last, finding no other avenue of escape, the herd cohs, and rolling the loose stones down into the valleys, as theytheir own horrid shrieks to the din which had been previously created On they ca havoc in their rage to such an extent, that the forest appeared to bon before thee masses of loose rock leaped and bounded and thundered down into the valley, raising clouds of dust in their passage

”This is trerand,” whispered Alexander to the Major

”It is ht for any thing; but here they coht of the whole reat bull leader,” said Swinton; ”let us all fire upon him--what a monster!”

”Look out,” said the Major, whose rifle was discharged as he spoke, and was quickly followed by those of Alexander and Swinton

”He's down; be quick and load again Oive me the other rifle”

”Take care! take care!” was how cried on all sides, for the fall of the leading elephant and the volleys of htened the herd, that they had begun to separate and break off two or three together, or singly in every direction The shrieks and truhs so near to thereat The Major had but just leveled his other rifle when the dense foliage close to hie female presented itself within four yards of hireat nerve, and his rifle brought her down at his feet, when so near to him that he was compelled to leap away out of the reach of her trunk, for she was not yet dead Another smaller elephant followed so close, that it tumbled over the carcass of the first, and was shot by Alexander as it was recovering its legs

”Back, sirs, or you will be killed,” cried Breht upon you” They ran for their lives, following the Hottentot, who brought theh rock which the elephants could not cliained it when the mass came forward in a cloud of dust, and with a noise al to and fro as they passed on in a close-wedged body Many ounded and tottering, and as they were left behind, the Caffres, naked, with their assaguays in their hands, leaping forward and hiding, as required, running with the greatest activity close up to the rear of the ani the out in their own tongue to the elephants, ”Great captain! don't kill us--don't tread upon us, h, thenone As it was al a Caffre, our travelers contented the on, till the whole herd had passed by, and had disappeared in the jungle below

”They have gone right in the direction of the wagons,” said Swinton

”Yes, sir,” replied the Hottentot, Bremen; ”but we must not interfere with thele, that it would be dangerous We o away as fast as they can”

They remained for a few minutes more, till every elephant and Caffre had disappeared, and then went back cautiously to the spot from whence they had first fired, and where they had such a fine prospect of the valley

Not an elephant was to be seen in it; nothing but the ravages which the herd had coe size, had been borne to the ground by the enorth of these anireat bull elephant had fallen by the rifle of Major Henderson

They found that the ball had entered just under the eye It was a h by Bremen's calculation, and it had two very fine tusks While they were standing by the carcass of the animal, the armed Hottentots returned from the pursuit, and stated that seven elephants had been dispatched, and others were so wounded that they could not live They now set to work to take the teeth out of the ani up, and reported that the herd of elephants in their retreat had dashed through the caood deal of on of Major Henderson, and had forced his tusk through the side; that the tusk had pierced one of the casks of liquor, which was running out, although not very fast, and that the wagon et out the cask and save the rest of the liquor