PART 10
May 11.=20
We passed a sleepless night. Bugs and fleas bit us so much that even the =
Abyssinians who were used to them could not sleep; and the whole time, =
we tossed and turned. In the morning, we set out and went to the forests =
where elephants kept themselves. At ten o'clock in the morning, from the =
summit of a ridge, we saw below, in a clearing of the dense forest, a =
herd of elephants. We left our mules and horses here; and by ourselves, =
going around the elephants, we began to approach them in such a way that =
the wind blew from them to us. The forest is so dense here that you can =
only force your way along elephant trails. Bita-rasha led us; and, =
stepping carefully, he walked ahead, holding his spear at the ready in =
case of an unexpected encounter. I followed him, with Zelepukin behind =
me, and, finally, stretched out in a file, walked the rest of the =
ashkers. When we came to the place where we had seen the elephants, they =
were no longer there; and we ran along their fresh tracks. Jumping =
across deep holes, pressed by the elephants' feet, we then forced our =
way across a boggy swamp, crossed a small mountain ridge and went into =
another, even denser forest. Complete quiet reigned there, and the =
elephants must be not far away. We held our breath and moved without =
making noise... Suddenly a Kaffa stopped and pointed out to me with his =
finger some dark-brown mass, which, like a wall, obstructed the trail, =
just a few paces ahead. This was the belly, chest, or hind quarters of =
an elephant. I was in no condition to figure out which. I was afraid =
that my impatient ashkers would not restrain themselves and would begin =
to fire; so I shot at the bulk I saw. Shots from Zelepukin and my =
ashkers rang out behind my back. The forest began to rumble, trees began =
to crack, and the whole herd, in panicky fear, broke into a run. The =
elephant I had wounded also ran, and having separated himself from the =
rest of the herd, bellowed piercingly in a thicket. We rushed in =
pursuit. My ashkers flew like whirlwinds, jumped across toppled down =
trees and hummocks, and shot on the run. Zelepukin and I=20
also began to pursue the elephants, but soon had to fall behind. On one =
of the trails, on the leaves of bushes, on the right side, blood was =
found; and I went to look for the wounded elephant. But there were so =
many elephant trails in the forest, that I soon lost its tracks. Soon I =
stumbled upon another elephant and wounded it, but it also went off into =
a thicket. From afar, I heard the shots of my ashkers, But they soon =
fell silent.=20
Evidently, the elephants had gotten away. I lost all hope for a =
successful hunt and began to return to the place where I had left my =
mule. That was seven versts [four miles] away. With me went Zelepukin, =
two Kaffas and the gun bearer Aulale, who this time carried only =
binoculars. Having climbed to the crest of one mountain ridge, we =
suddenly saw below, on the opposite side of a rivulet, in the arch =
between two forests, the whole herd of elephants. It must have turned =
back and now was going from one forest to the other. We were 800 paces =
from them. I quickly got down on one knee and opened fire on the herd =
with frequent fire from my three-eighths-inch caliber rifle. The puzzled =
elephants stopped for a moment, then circled around one large tree, and =
went back into the forest. Under the tree, one elephant lagged behind =
and lay down, and in the thicket several wounded ones bellowed. At a =
run, I rushed down the mountain to the elephant which had failed. But =
when I got close, as it turned out, the elephant had gone away. =
Zelepukin and I rushed along various trails to look for the wounded =
animal. I also made the Kaffa look, but they had made up their minds not =
to and stayed at the edge of the forest. Suddenly, in front of me, the =
bushes started to break... The cracking quickly got closer. I stood =
behind a turn in the trail, but after a few moments everything grew =
quiet. The elephant stopped somewhere quite nearby, having hidden itself =
now -- it must be behind some tree -- and waiting for me. Severely =
wounded elephants continually do this, and then they are very dangerous. =
I strained my sight to see it in the dense thicket, and cautiously moved =
in the direction of the place where the cracking had resounded just =
before. Aulale also went with me and suddenly cried out in a voice which =
wasn't his own, "There it is!" Hidden behind a large tree, twenty paces =
from me, with a bellow, the elephant was now rushing headlong in attack. =
I shot, and it went toppling over, weightily, just five paces from me. =
The bullet had hit it in the head. To be sure, I shot it again. Then =
with my saber, I cut off the customary Abyssinian trophies -- the ends =
of the trunk, tail, and ears.=20
Blessings to all
Biniam
Arlington, Virginia, USA