noon
`` No good ! '' he answered ; `` last till get back , but not more -- den him die . '' I trusted that the poor animal would hold out as long as he supposed . We rested at noon under an enormous acacia , of the younger branches of which the elephants are apparently very fond . We saw that they were everywhere twisted off to the height of about twenty-five feet , which is as far as an elephant can reach . Here and there , under the trees , were conical hills twenty feet high , built up for residences by the white ants . Frequently they were covered with creeping plants which met at the top , hanging back in an umbrella shape , completely shading them .