^ Hlephant-I Iiintin^^ 



nocturnal visitors had taken ])Oss(;ssi()n of them, pulled 

 them t(j jjieces, and staniijed th'-.in under-tool in the 

 mire. Tliis ljor(' (jut what I had often h('ard Irom native 

 hunters ahmit the af(gressive character ol the eh-phants 

 of this part of Africa at night. 



The herd had crossed and recrossed the stn%im 

 several times and had then corner up al)f)ut thr(.'e hundred 

 yards towards the camp, ddiough I lelt almost (<rtain 

 th(.'y must hav(! i^one hack to the security ol tJKtir moun- 

 tains, I lulknved their tracks as usual, just to s(m: what 

 I could make (jf them. To my surprise 1 lound, after 

 alxnit half an hour, that they had sudde-nly lorme-d 

 themselves in a more or less distinct line and set out in 

 the direction ol th(; desc-rt. 



This suL;L;ested two possibilities. Mith<'r, after drinking 

 their fill, they had started lor the nc-xt watering-place, 

 two days' journ(;y away — and this sf-eiiK-d to me the more 

 likely alternative — or else they were taking up their (|uarters 

 for a day ux two on the dr\- plains, so as to keej) out 

 ot reach (T the Wakamba and their arnjws. In (either 

 case I had to look sharp. Returning to the camp, i 

 got ready lor the march in a very h^w minutes, and set 

 out with some of ni) best men and ab(jut lorty carriers. 

 I saw that they brought with th(-m in their calabashes 

 as much water as they could carry and a goful supply 

 of rojje. It was clear from the tracks that there were 

 young elephants in the herd, and I made up my mind 

 to direct all my efforts tcjwards capturing one ol these, 

 though I fully realised the danger involved in the attempt, 

 considering the number <;f animals I had to deal with, and 



169 



