Копи царя Соломона
An Elephant Hunt
Well,therewethreesatyarningawayinthebeautifulmoonlight,andwatchingtheKafirsafewyardsoffsuckingtheirintoxicating"daccha"fromapipeofwhichthemouthpiecewasmadeofthehornofaneland, tillonebyonetheyrolledthemselvesupintheirblanketsandwenttosleepbythefire,thatis,allexceptUmbopa,whowasalittleapart,hischinrestingonhishand,andthinkingdeeply.InoticedthathenevermixedmuchwiththeotherKafirs.
Presently,fromthedepthsofthebushbehindus,camealoud"woof,woof!" "That’salion,"saidI, andweallstarteduptolisten. Hardlyhadwedoneso,whenfromthepool,aboutahundredyardsoff,weheardthestridenttrumpetingofanelephant. "Unkungunklovo!Indlovu!""Elephant!Elephant!"whisperedtheKafirs, andafewminutesafterwardswesawasuccessionofvastshadowyformsmovingslowlyfromthedirectionofthewatertowardsthebush.
UpjumpedGood,burningforslaughter,andthinking,perhaps,thatitwasaseasytokillelephantashehadfoundittoshootgiraffe,butIcaughthimbythearmandpulledhimdown.
"It’snogood,"Iwhispered,"letthemgo."
"Itseemsthatweareinaparadiseofgame.Ivotewestophereadayortwo,andhaveagoatthem,"saidSirHenry,presently.
Iwasrathersurprised,forhithertoSirHenryhadalwaysbeenforpushingforwardasfastaspossible,moreespeciallysinceweascertainedatInyatithatabouttwoyearsagoanEnglishmanofthenameofNevillehadsoldhiswagonthere,andgoneonupcountry.