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ght sounds had stopped。 They did not hear the elephant and David did not see him until the dog turned his head and seemed to settle into David。 Then the elephant's shadow covered them and he moved past making no noise at all and they smelled him in the light wind that came down from the mountain。 He smelled strong but old and sour and when he was past David saw that the left tusk was so long it seemed to reach the ground。 They waited but no other elephants came by and then David and the dog started off running in the moonlight。 The dog kept close behind him and when David stopped the dog pressed his muzzle into the back of his knee。 David had to see the bull again and they came up on him at the edge of the forest。 He was travelling toward the mountain and slowly now moving into the steady night breeze。 David came close enough to see him cut off the moon again and to smell the sour oldness but he could not see the right tusk。 He was afraid to work closer with the dog and he took him back with the wind and pushed him down against the base of a tree and tried to make him understand。 He thought the dog would stay and he did but when David moved up toward the bulk of the elephant again he felt the wet muzzle against the hollow of his knee。
The two of them followed the elephant until he came to an opening in the trees。 He stood there moving his huge ears。 His
bulk was in the shadow but the moon would be on his head。 David reached behind him and closed the dog's jaws gently with his hand and then moved softly and unbreathing to his right along the edge of the night breeze feeling it on his cheek； edging with it； never letting it get between him and the bulk until he could see the elephant's head and the great ears slowly moving。 The right tusk was as thick as his own thigh and it curved down almost to the ground。
He and the dog moved back； the wind on his neck now； and they backtracked out of the forest and into the open park country。 The dog was ahead of him now and he stopped where David had left the two hunting spears by the trail when they had followed the elephant。 He swung them over his shoulder in their thong and leather cup harness and； with his best spear that he had kept with him all the time in his hand； they started on the trail for the shamba。 The moon was high now and he wondered why there was no drumming from the shamba。 Something was strange if his father was there and there was no drumming。
Chapter Nineteen
THEY WERE LYING on the firm sand of the smallest of the three coves； the one they always went to when they were alone； and the girl said； 〃She won't go to Switzerland。〃
〃She shouldn't go to Madrid either。 Spain is a bad place to crack up。〃
〃I feel as though we'd been married all our lives and never had anything but problems。〃 She pushed his hair back from his forehead and kissed him。 〃Do you want to swim now？〃
〃Yes。 Let's dive from the high rock。 The really high one。〃
〃You do；〃 she said。 〃I'll swim out and you dive over my head。〃
〃All right。 But hold still when I dive。〃
〃See how close you can come。
Looking up； she watched him poised on the high rock； arced brown against the blue sky。 Then he came toward her and the water rose in a spout from a hole in the water behind her shoulder。 He turned under water and came up in front of her and shook his head。 〃I cut it too fine；〃 he said。
They swam out to the point and back and then wiped each other dry and dressed on the beach。
〃You really liked me diving that close？〃
〃I loved it。〃
He kissed her and she felt cool and fresh from the swimming and she still tasted of the sea。
Catherine came in while they were still sitting at the bar。 She was tired and quiet and polite。
At the table she said； 〃I went to Nice and then drove the little Corniche and I stopped up above Villefranche and watched a battle cruiser come in and then it was late。〃
〃You weren't very late；〃 Marita said。
〃But it was very strange；〃 Catherine said。 〃All the colors were too bright。 Even the grays were bright。 The olive trees were glittery。〃
〃That's the noon light；〃 David said。
〃No。 I don't think so；〃 she said。 〃It wasn't very nice and it was lovely when I stopped to watch the ship。 She didn't look big to have such a big name。〃
〃Please eat some of the steak；〃 David said。 〃You've eaten hardly anything。〃
〃I'm sorry；〃 she said。 〃It's good。 I like tournedos。〃
'Would you like something instead of the meat？〃
〃No。 I'll eat the salad。 Do you think we could have a bottle of the Perrier…Jouet？〃
〃Of course。〃
〃It was always such a nice wine；〃 she said。 〃And we were always so happy with it。〃
Afterward in their room Catherine said； 〃Don't worry； David； please。 It's just speeded up so much lately。〃
〃How？〃 he asked。 He was stroking her forehead。
〃I don't know。 All of a sudden I was old this morning and it wasn't even the right time of year。 Then the colors started to be false。 I worried and wanted to get you taken care of。〃
〃You take wonderful care of everybody。〃
〃I'm going to but I was so tired and there wasn't any time and I knew it would be so humiliating if the money ran out and you had to borrow and I hadn't fixed up anything nor signed any thing and just been sloppy the way I've been。 Then I worried about your dog。〃
〃My dog？〃
〃Yes your dog in Africa in the story。 I went in the room to see if you needed anything and I read the story。 While you and Marita were talking in the other room。 I didn't listen。 You left your keys in the shorts you changed from。〃
〃It's about half through；〃 he told her。
〃It's wonderful；〃 she said。 〃But it frightens me。 The elephant was so strange and your father too。 I never liked him but I like the dog better than anyone except you David； and I'm so worried about him。〃
〃He was a wonderful dog。 You don't have to worry about him。〃
〃Can I read about what happened to him today in the story？〃
〃Sure； if you want to。 But he's at the shamba now and you don't need to worry about him。〃
〃If he's all right I won't read it until you get back to him。 Kibo。 He had a lovely name。〃
〃It's the name of a mountain。 The other part is Mawenzi。〃
〃You and Kibo。 I love you so much。 You were so much alike。〃
〃You're feeling better； Devil。〃
〃Probably；〃 Catherine said。 〃I hope so。 But it won't last。 Driving this morning I was so very happy and then suddenly I was old； so old I didn't care anymore。
〃You're not old。〃
〃Yes I am。 I'm older than my mother's old clothes and I won't outlive your dog。 Not even in a story。〃
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Chapter Twenty
DAvID HAD FINISHED writing and he was empty and hollow… feeling from having driven himself long past the point where he should have stopped。 He did not think it mattered that day because it was the exhaustion part of the story and so he had felt the tiredness as soon as they had picked up the trail again。 For a long time he had been fresher and in better shape than the two men and impatient with their slow trailing and the regular halts his father made each hour on the hour。 He could have moved ahead much faster than Juma and his father but when he started to tire they were the same as ever and at noon they took only the usual five minute rest and he had seen that Juma was increasing the pace a little。 Perhaps he wasn't。 Perhaps it had only seemed faster but the dung was fresher now although it was not warm yet to the touch。 Juma gave him the rifle to carry after they came on the last pile of dung but after an hour he looked at him and took it back。 They had been climbing steadily across a slope of the mountain but now the trail went down and from a gap in the forest he saw the broken country ahead。
〃Here's where the tough part starts； Davey；〃 his father said。
It was then he knew that he should have been sent back to the shamba once he had put them on the trail。 Juma had known it for a long time。 His father knew it now and there was nothing to be done。 It was another of his mistakes and there was nothing to do now except gamble。 David looked down at the big flattened circle of the print of the elephant foot and saw where the bracken had been pressed down and where a broken stem of a flowering weed was drying beyond the break。 Juma picked it up and looked at the sun。 Juma handed the broken weed to David's father and his father rolled it in his fingers。 David noticed the white flowers that were drooped and drying。 But they still had not dried in the sun nor shed their petals。
〃It's going to be a bitch；〃 his father said。 〃Let's get going。〃
Late in the afternoon they were still tracking through the broken country。 He had been sleepy now for a long time and as he watched the two men he knew that sleepiness was his real enemy and he followed their pace and tried to move through and out of the sleep that deadened him。 The two men relieved each other tracking on the hour and the one who was in second place looked back at him at regular intervals to check if he was with them。 When they made a dry camp at dark in the forest again he went to sleep as soon as he sat down and woke with Juma holding his moccasins and feeling his bare feet for blisters。 His father had spread his coat over him and was sitting by him with a piece of cold cooked meat and two biscuits。 He offered