VI FOLLOWING ELEPHANTS 103 



wood and shouted at them. On going down to the 

 large pools of water the next mornhig, we found 

 that no elephants had drunk there duruig the night ; 

 but, in order to give them another chance, instead 

 of pushing on at once with the ivory to the waggons, 

 we made a round amongst the hills to the north-west, 

 returning to our skerm again at nightfiill. As soon 

 as the day dawned, we sent a couple of Kafirs down 

 to the water to see if any elephants had been there, 

 and on their return in a quarter of an hour with the 

 joyful tidings that a fine troop of bulls had drunk 

 during the night, we at once started in pursuit. We 

 found they had come down from the right-hand side, 

 and returned on their own spoor, feeding along nicely 

 as they went, so that we were in great hopes of over- 

 taking them without much difficulty. Our confidence, 

 however, we soon found was misplaced, for after a 

 time they had ceased to feed, and, turning back 

 towards the N.E., had taken to a path, along which 

 they had walked in single file and at a quick pace, 

 as if making for some stronghold in the hills. Hour 

 after hour we trudged on, over rugged stony hills, 

 and across open grassy valleys, scattered over which 

 grew clumps of the soft-leaved machabel trees, or 

 rather bushes ; but, though the leaves and bark of 

 this tree form a favourite food of elephants, those 

 we were pursuing had turned neither to the right 

 nor the left to pluck i single frond. 



After mid-day, the aspect of the country changed, 

 and we entered upon a series of ravines covered with 

 dense, scrubby bush. Unfortunately the grass had 

 here been burnt off, but for which circumstance the 

 elephants, I feel sure, would have halted for their 

 mid-day sleep. In one of these thickets we ran on 

 to three black rhinoceroses [R. bicornis) lying asleep. 



