VI A MIGHTY BEAST 89 



Jeft the path and took across the veldt, the elephants 

 having commenced feeding again here and there, 

 tempted by the soft leaves of the machabel, which 

 grew in great profusion. About four o'clock I once 

 more sat down for a few minutes' rest ; but I now 

 had better hopes of coming up with the elephants, for 

 they had been feeding quietly along for some time, 

 though always moving forwards, and 1 knew we must 

 have gained greatly on them during the last few 

 hours. However, the sun was fast sinking towards the 

 western hills, and I feared that darkness might come 

 on before we could overtake them. 



My Kafirs now, knowing that even if we turned 

 back it would be impossible to reach the skerm that 

 night, and that our only chance of getting meat and 

 water was by pushing forwards and catching the 

 elephants, once more took the spoor with renewed 

 ardour, and we had not gone far before coming to 

 where they had separated into three parties. Two 

 only had continued in the old course, and, as the 

 spoor of these two was the biggest of the lot, I 

 resolved to follow them. 



The country here became more barren and rugged, 

 though the valleys were sparsely wooded with the now 

 almost leafless mopani trees ; but, as the elephants 

 had been feeding, breaking off a branch here and a 

 strip of bark there, the spoor was easy to follow, and 

 we got along at a good pace. From the appearance 

 of the dung and the freshness of the leaves and 

 chewed bark, we were evidently fist overhauling 

 them, though, as there was scarcely an hour's sun 

 left, and there is but a scant allowance of twilight in 

 these latitudes, I began to fear that darkness would 

 intervene before we caught them. At last, after 

 another halt-hour's spooring, the foremost Kafir, 



