Connecticut western news., 1877-08-31
My First Elephant.

CoIHc years dSO, says IIdNcltT, III my first hunting trip in Africa, had been tramping about four days through the hot sands, which seemed to moisten as I walked; and at last, wcaried out, we camped down for the night close to pool. 1 was in the land of dreams, and back in England, when I was awakened by one of my Kafiirs, and sitting up, there was about the strangest noise of wallOwing, spouting and trIlm- peting 1 ever heard. It was for all the world as if some great beasts were playing with water, and kept saying 'Pompn'
 ''Elephants, my boy whispered.
 And we lay listening-I without the slightest desire to go and attack them in the dark; and at last, all becoming silent, l dropped again into that sound sleep enjoyed by the tired man.
 The next morning, on seeking the nearest pool, the first glance convinced us that our ears had not played us false in the night, for there, deeply impressed in the soft mud, lay the giant footprints of several splendid bulls.
 A careful survey round about soon showed us that they had come down the valley to the right, and, after drink ing and splashing about in all the pools, had gone out into the low hills on the left; so putting my best spooring Katfir on the track, we lost no time in starting in pursuit.
 The troop, as well as could be judged, consisted of about ten or twelve bulls, amongst them three or four regular old teasers, with footprints nearly two feet in diameter.
 After following their spoor about a couple of hours across sort of easy country, it led us to some much higher and more rugged hills, and here they had ceased to feed and taken to an old path, stepping it out at a brisk pace in single file.
 After following the spoor for about another hour along this path, it once more left it and struck off again in the old direction across the hills, and, just here getting amongst lot of yesterdays tracks, we had great difficulty in following it; but at length my boy, with the sagacity and perseverance of a hound, ferreted it out, and away we went again.
 About eleven o'clock we got into a patch of very thick, scrubby (what the Kaffirs call ''Idoro'' bush), in deep kloof between the hills, and here we went along with great care and caution, expecting every instant to see the ele- plants, as I made sure they would not pass a place so favorable for their mid day siesta; however. they went clean out of here, and up the steep hill on the other side. Arrived at the top, we looked down upon a large kloof, in closed on all sides with steep hills, and covered with dense bush, thicker a great deal than that we had just come through; and as 1 looked I felt sure my friends were sleeping not many hundred yards off.
 At this instant glancing to the right perceived elephants coming down the side of the hill little on ahead (my boy afterward claimed to have headed these, and turned them back toward the valley); so 1 ran to intercept them
 was just in time, and as they passed in front of me, not any more than forty yards distance, in single file, I gave the last one Che having the finest ivory, a shot in the middle of the shoulder but few inches too high; however, ii slackened his speed considerably, and he left the others. Quickly reloading I followed, and getting to where the bush little more opon, shouted behind him: "Hi, there !-woho, old man v and fatal curiosity, or perhaps wish for vengeance, inducing him to turn, planted another four-ounce ball in his chest. He wheeled around immedi. ately; but strength failed him, only walked few yards, stood under tree and, after receiving another bulle, square on the shoulder, gave fierce shake of the head, making his huge ears flap again, and sinking slowly dowr with his hind legs doubld out, surren. dered up his tough old spirit-looking for all the world, though dead, like ; tame elephant when kneeling for peo