Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-19

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eyes even during the last hour, and
thew reDorted that only one elephant was in
sight on the slopes below us, working down to
the tall grass, and it was a cow with very small
tusks The others hadS gone before it was light
enough to distinguish any OF them. TOOK the
glasses and went along the little path, which
was crossed and recrossed by last nights
elephant tracks. the nearest 80 feet from the
tent, and swept the opposite slopes with the
glasses not not an elephant could see any
where.
Herbert sent Omari down the path TO keep
watch and we had hardly taken swallow OF
coffee before he was back reporting that large
elephant had come out IN the short grass on
the opposite slope at the edge Of the forest but
he had not been able to see any ivory. Herbert
seized the glasses and dashed to the LOOKOUT
point, while kept On steadily with coffee, some
subtle intuition telling me was going to need
it before that day was over. The next moment
Herbert was back.
MARY. what ivoryI" he said fervently. He
had had the glasses on the elephant as 1t
raised its head and had seen tusks OF an
amazing length and curve. He was sure this
was the big fellow whose description had lured
US on this expedition We caught up guns and
buckled on ammunition pouches, shouting Tor
the guides, who should have been diligently
locating this elephant, but who were sleeping
exhaustedly2 after tl1sir night Of noise. IN
few minutes three of them came racing from
the shambaS, the leader, our friend OF the
monkey-skin cap winding his barkcloth garment
about him as he came. Two were our guloes
OF the previous day and the third was stocky,
round headed young cannibal wearing TWO
inches of barkcloth and a circular haircut that
left caplike crop of wool on the top None
of our porters would carry for US for fear OF
being caught alone by the cannibals, and our
guides shouted back for other villagers.
WE started out along the spur, pauSing FOR
wv me to see the elephant. He had his back
turned and could not see the exciting tusks,
but his size was astounding to me-he loonned
Up through the glasses like the WooEworth
Building The wind was variable making the
direct approach as good as any, so down we
clambered, losing sight of the elephant on the
way At the bottom of the gully we had to
wind through elephant grass so tall that 1t
met over our heads and so thick that we lost
sight of anybody two feet ahead. Fresh trails
were everywhere and very likely those were
elephants still there. Earnestly prayed that
those elephants might know how peaceful my
intentions were toward them and how anxious
I was not to disturb any little morning reverie
they might be having
chose moments in deep grass were ones in
which I reflected seriously upon the perfls of
the life we were leading and on how much my
child needed her parents care. could ind
no cogent reason then why we should be poW-
ing through 12-foot grass to assaSSinate an
animal amply able to retaliate-n fact, many
reasons occurred to me why We should not.
drew deep breath of relief when we clambered
up the side. Then, as we neared the clearing,
the excitement of the chase routed every other
thought.
We gestured to the guides, who fitted ahead
into the shade like shadows themselves, and
into the forest we went. Once within, We
whispered TO ourselves that this was really a
different forest, a more open forest; that there
were glades In it where the streamed and
the butterflies danced and where We could have
seen an elephant high over the bushes. In
fact this was an exception Of a forest.
1t really was for a little while Then It
deepened and darkened into that silvery green
twilight we had come to know so well. We
were on a trail over which the elephants had
passed but q few minutes before, for the
spiders were stfil frsntcafly racing about the
...alas the That had haeIt