IV SCARCITY OF WATER 55 



a small river for which we were making, a large herd 

 of elephant cows walked out of the forest into a 

 narrow open glade, about half-a-mile distant, which 

 they quickly crossed, disappearing in the bush on 

 the flirther side. Though we had been walking for 

 many hours in the heat of the sun without water, 

 having found that a rivulet where we expected to 

 obtain some had dried up, and were very thirsty, we 

 at once ran to intercept the elephants, and soon came 

 up with them as they were walking through an open 

 patch of forest. I fired first, and a large cow which 

 I had aimed at fell with a crash to the shot as if 

 struck by lightning. 1 was loading and running 

 after the herd when Cigar called out to me, " Look 

 out, your elephant is getting up again," and, glancing 

 round, I was just in time to see my supposed victim 

 regaining her feet. As she only walked off" rather 

 slowly, I soon ran alongside of and gave her another 

 shot, on which she came to a halt under a large tree. 

 I then approached her cautiously, but she caught 

 sight of or winded me, tor, raising her head and 

 extending her ears, she gave a scream and came 

 towards me at a great rate. I stood where 1 was 

 and gave her a shot in the tront of the head as she 

 came on. This shot was too high for the brain, but 

 it stopped her at once, and she wheeled right round 

 and went back to the same tree again, where I killed 

 her with another bullet behind the shoulder. As all 

 the Kafirs were with Cigar, I now walked back in 

 the direction of the last shots I had heard, and 

 threading my way through the bush, came suddenly 

 upon a young bull elephant — one that Cigar had 

 wounded. He had evidently heard me, but neither 

 seeing nor smelling anything, could not make out 

 my whereabouts. He looked very vicious as he 



