CHAPTER VIII.. African Horse-Sickness--Two Narrow Escapes in

AFRICAN HORSE-SICKNESS--TWO NARROW ESCAPES IN ELEPHANT-HUNTING--JACK AND HIS HORSE.

"That's a very natural supposition," I replied; "of course I shall. After being here in this country for weeks without hearing a feminine voice or seeing a white woman's face, any one who calls himself a man would gladly accept an invitation like that. I shall certainly drop in at their camp the first time I'm that way."

"Yes, and you'll make it your way very soon," said Jack; "I would if it were my case."

"Are we in it at all?" said Harry. "Did your invitation include your friends?"

"Not as yet," said I, "but I presume it will in due course of time. At any rate, when I do visit their camp I'll mention you, as I have already, and will give you good characters--that is, as good as I can."

"Thank you," said Jack; "and we'll promise when our turn comes that we'll sound your praises."

We had a little more good-natured raillery on this subject, and just as it ended we were called out to look at one of the horses, which had gone sick. He showed every symptom of the horse-disease peculiar to South Africa, which has carried away so many animals of greater or less value. When a horse sickens it is necessary to bleed him freely, and if this is done in time he may be saved. One of the most trying things to a hunter in Africa is the loss of his horses, whether by the African disease or the tsetse-fly. The latter can be avoided by keeping away from the country where the fly abounds, but no amount of caution can avoid the former. Horses that have had the disease and have recovered are said to be "salted," and are much more valuable than those that have not passed through it. Having had it once, they are not altogether exempt from it, like a child with the measles and other infantile maladies, but they are far less liable to a second attack than they were to the first.

After the incident of the horse we sat down to supper, which consisted principally of a stew made of the koodoo that I killed, and the tongues of the elands broiled over coals of thorn-bushes, the whole washed down with coffee, and a thimbleful of brandy at the end. Then came our pipes and a chat about what we had best do the next day.

Our Kafirs reported a small herd of elephants three or four miles to the eastward. They were sighted along in the afternoon, and as they had not been disturbed at all it was thought they would remain where they were until the next day. We decided that we would go in pursuit of them, making an early start, so as to get the most of the hunt over before the great heat of the day.

In the morning we sent off the trackers an hour or so before we started ourselves, with directions to make out the position of the herd, so that we should lose no time in getting to work. We followed on horseback, and when we had accomplished about two thirds of the distance to the forest we met a Kafir who had been sent back by Mirogo to tell us that the elephants were there. At the edge of the forest we dismounted, leaving our horses in charge of the men, under the shade of a large tree which was about a quarter of a mile from the woodland where the elephants were. Harry and Jack were posted on opposite sides of the forest, while I went into the wood, accompanied by Mirogo and Kalil. I had my two heaviest rifles, and was prepared to do good work if the opportunity offered.

The scheme was for me to do the best I could while among the trees; of course my first shot would alarm the entire herd, and as the forest was not large they would be pretty sure to run out of it. Harry and Jack were to take shots at them, if possible, from their points of concealment, and then signal for their horses to be brought, and pursue the big game on horseback over the open country. I was to come out of the wood as soon as whatever work I could do there was accomplished, and follow the example of my friends; that is, mount my horse and chase the herd.

It was not long after entering the forest before Mirogo, who was leading, came upon the spoor of the elephants. It was evident there was a number of them--all the way from five or six to twice as many--and the spoor showed that they were animals of the first class so far as size was concerned.

There was no difficulty in following the spoor, as the herd made quite a track through the underbrush, and so facilitated my movements a good deal. In a little while we heard the crashing of bushes and the usual noise that an elephant makes when he is feeding or leisurely proceeding through a wooded country. We hurried along cautiously, and presently I caught sight of a bull with a magnificent pair of tusks.

Before I could get a shot at the fellow or any of his companions something disturbed them. What it was I did not know; perhaps they caught our wind from some direction, or, the herd being a little scattered, they may have caught the wind from the parties outside the forest and passed the signal along from one to another. They made trumpet-calls to indicate some sort of elephant-talk, and then they seemed to huddle together, as nearly as I could make out, for a consultation. At all events, they got out of my sight, and very soon I heard them crashing out of the woods at a great rate.

I knew it was useless to follow on foot, and so made my way back again out of the forest to where the Kafirs were holding the horses.

I had just reached the tree where my horse was when I saw the elephants coming out and making across the open country for another patch of forest three or four miles away. There were four bull-elephants and five or six cows; the bulls were magnificent fellows and the cows by no means an ordinary lot. I was nearer to the herd than either Jack or Harry, and that gave me choice of the beasts. I singled out the largest of the bulls and gave chase.

Ranging my horse up alongside I gave him a couple of bullets just back of the shoulder, aiming wild, of course, as the horse was at a gallop and there was no time to dismount. After the second bullet he turned and stood facing me, as if undecided what to do. Then he came on with a terrific charge, and I wheeled the horse very quickly to avoid him.

After that he continued on his journey after the rest of the herd, and I followed him and gave him another dose. This brought the elephant around again, and as he came about I determined to give him a ball in the chest; and this time I put in the gun a cartridge with an explosive ball, which would certainly astonish him, at any rate.

When I raised my gun for the purpose of firing, the horse tossed his head and prevented me from taking aim. While I was trying to pacify him the bull came on, and I fired at random. I evidently did not hit the elephant at all; I aimed directly over the horse's head, and think the bullet must have come disagreeably near to his ear, as he gave a sudden jerk to one side, which threw the near rein over on the off side and unfastened the curb-chain, the bit turning right around in his mouth.

Here was a pretty predicament, and if there had been time for reflection I should have regretted that I ever came to Africa to hunt elephants or other big game. The great brute was not fifty feet away from me, with his trunk elevated in the air, his immense ears flapping, and his trumpet sounding in the most vicious manner. I had no control over the horse on account of the position of the reins and bit, and so I dug the spurs into his side to get a move on him someway.

The horse went straight for the elephant, and I thought it would be the end of the animal and his rider. I leaned over as far as possible on the side farthest from the elephant, and as I went by him his trunk was within six feet of me. I drove the spurs into the horse, and on he went for fifty yards or so, where we brought up against three small trees that stood in a sort of triangle. We got through these trees, but I was nearly dragged from the horse in so doing, and it is a wonder that I was able to hold on to my gun. I clung, however, to the gun and the reins, and on we went, jumping over thorn-bushes, and through a tangled sort of thicket, and over ground full of holes.

The horse was nearly down several times, and I narrowly escaped being pitched overhead, as the ground was very heavy and not at all adapted to a promenade on horseback.

All this time the elephant was close after us and generally not more than ten or twenty yards behind us. I got clear of him by moving in circles, guiding the horse as well as possible by pressing on his neck and encouraging him in every way I could. When one is chased by an elephant the best way of escape is by doubling on him; he cannot turn quickly, and there is where you have him at a disadvantage.

As soon as there was a chance to pull up I jumped off the horse, arranged the bridle, and mounted again to pursue my elephant, who was moving in the direction the herd had taken. I came up to him and renewed the hostilities, giving him in all ten shots, and being charged three times, the last time for fully half a mile. Then I gave him an explosive bullet right between the eye and ear, and he came to the ground. My horse was completely blown by that time, and as for myself, I was ready to drop with exhaustion. It was one of the hardest chases I ever had after an elephant, and I do not know of one on which I had a closer call.

Harry and Jack went in pursuit of the herd soon after I singled out my prize. Harry said that he got up so close to one that the horse's nose almost touched him, Harry's intention being to watch a favorable moment, come around to the elephant's side, and give him a shot there. It is very little use shooting at an elephant's rear, as there is nothing but a great mass of flesh there; several ounces of lead deposited in it make no particular difference in the animal's movements. Suddenly his elephant turned to see who it was that was accompanying him; this gave a chance for a broadside, which Harry embraced, planting a bullet in the beast's shoulder. Harry dropped back again to reload, and then followed up through a mass of tall bushes that concealed the animal from sight. He dashed on to overtake the elephant, and came near being caught by his antagonist.

The elephant had stopped in a place where the path turned suddenly, and Harry was almost under his trunk before he saw him. The bull trumpeted furiously and made a terrific charge. The horse whirled instantly, but Harry drove the spurs into him, when the two went through a mass of thorn and other bushes that they would not have dreamed of venturing into at any other time. Harry's encounter with the bushes was very evident when he turned up, as his clothes were torn in shreds and his flesh was gashed and scratched in many places; half the skin was torn from his hands, and he was not at all a presentable object for a drawing-room; and, besides, he lost his elephant!

Jack was more fortunate, for he bagged his elephant--one of the bulls--and had about as lively a time in getting him as I had with mine. In some respects it was livelier, as he was pitched from his horse while the elephant was chasing him, and the great beast actually passed within two feet of where Jack was lying at the side of the path. The horse caught his foot in a hole and stumbled, throwing his rider to the ground; he was up on his feet in an instant and off to one side, while Jack crawled or rolled out of the path along which the elephant was coming. The animal had such a momentum that he could not stop, and after getting by he seemed to regard the horse as his principal assailant and followed him for a hundred yards or so. Then he gave up the chase and proceeded in the direction of his companions.

Jack's horse was a wonderfully docile creature; when the elephant ceased following him he stopped and waited for his master's call. Jack whistled, and the intelligent animal ran to him at once. My friend gathered up his gun, remounted, and was immediately off like the wind in pursuit of his tusker, which he soon laid low.

We spent the evening in telling the stories of our adventures during the day and laying our plans for the morrow. What they were the reader will learn in the next chapter.