. On safari : big game hunting in British East Africa, with studies in bird-life . romthe green flags. A steady breeze blew from the vleistraight up the valley, and remained unchanged through-out the entire operation. Upon arriving exactly opposite this point where welay watching them, the column of elephants came to ahalt, and for several minutes stood there, evidently inconsultation—it hardly seems an exaggeration to say in conversation. Then they resumed their course, hold-ing up the valley ; while we followed, keeping level withthem, on our side the marsh. Presently they haltedagain, and,
. On safari : big game hunting in British East Africa, with studies in bird-life . romthe green flags. A steady breeze blew from the vleistraight up the valley, and remained unchanged through-out the entire operation. Upon arriving exactly opposite this point where welay watching them, the column of elephants came to ahalt, and for several minutes stood there, evidently inconsultation—it hardly seems an exaggeration to say in conversation. Then they resumed their course, hold-ing up the valley ; while we followed, keeping level withthem, on our side the marsh. Presently they haltedagain, and, after further conversation, apparentlydecided that the former spot was, after all, the morefavourable to efliect their passage of the marsh ; for,wheeling on their tracks, they marched back thither incolumn, and presently, with great deliberation, com-menced to cross to our side. We had meanwhile, for 156 ON SAFARI lialf-an-liour, enjoyed magnificent views of the wholetroop, and had made out at least two first-rate bnlls,one in particular riveting my attention by the splendid. SKETCH-MAP OF SOLAI, ILLUSTKATING OPEKATION WITH ELEPHANTS. ivory he carried, and which he was wont to display toperfection by jaunty tosses of his head. The point they had selected for their passagepossessed the advantage—we noticed this afterwards—of a half-dry islet midway across. The huge animals took the treacherous bog in ELEPHANTS 157 column of six abreast, tlie big bulls in the van, andtheir line extending 100 yards to the rear. Surely amore stirring spectacle in wild-life was never presentedto human eye ! We had, of course, regained our former position,and now sat squatting behind that tiny bush within afew yards of the nearest flags. But with that wondrousscene enacting before our eyes no thought was spared toconsiderations either of tactics or of safety. Obviously the changed course of the elephants, nowadvancing directly upon us, had wholly altered thestrategical situation. Beyond a doub
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Keywords: ., bookauthorchapmana, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookyear1908
