With FlashliL^ht and Rifle -^ 



with the elephants, whose t'ate they will undoubtedly 

 share — and that indeed niore quickly now, for the value 

 of their horns is increasing. 



The way in which the " Tembo." as the Waswahili 

 call the elephant, adapts himself to the altered conditions 

 of to-day is very remarkal)le. According to the accounts 

 of reliable witnesses, in days long gone by the elephant 

 hardly feared man at all. 



In the rainy season the elephants tlisperse over the 

 green, well-w"atered plains, whilst during the drought they 

 hide in thick, inaccessible places. In South Africa the 

 few remaining herds live in this manner. The hnding ot 

 a new elephant-track is not a guarantee to the hunter 

 that he will reach the herd. Elephants move with great 

 swiftness, in many cases outstripping a fast runner, until 

 the next bit of cover, the next marsh or hill, or until they 

 reach some spot a tremendous distance away. When a 

 herd becomes suspicious, it is possible to follow it tor 

 hours through the Nyika without being able to discover 

 of how many individuals it is composed. One animal steps 

 in almost exactly the same footprints as the other, and 

 this is done until they teei sater, when the\ walk turther 

 apart. Elephants can go lor a long time, too, without 

 resting, and change their haimts so quicklv that it is 

 impossible to catch them up. Ihey have an extra- 

 ordinary facLilt)' lor loretelling rain when it is still some 

 days oti. They disappear suddenly, and remain in the 

 neighbourhood of the pools on the jjlaiiis until these 

 dry up or other animals couk; to disturb them. I will 

 leave it to others to decide whether the\" arc^ caj)able oi 



154 



