VI A FRUITLESS SEARCH 121 



blood ; but after following it for a very short distance, 

 it became obliterated by the tracks of a large part of 

 the herd, which had turned back and crossed over it 

 during the hunt. All our efforts to get it away 

 were fruitless, and at last, when the sun went down, 

 we were obliged to give it up and make for the 

 nearest water hole, which we reached after about an 

 hour and a half's walk in the dark. A herd of 

 buffaloes had been there just before us, and trampled 

 and wallowed in the shallow pool, till they had 

 rendered the water quite undrinkable to any one but 

 a thirsty hunter. Here we slept. We were with- 

 out food or blankets, though for my part I did not 

 think this much of a hardship, as I was too fatigued 

 to feel hungry, and the nights were getting warm. 

 The cut on my cheek was about two inches long, 

 and deep, extending up under the cheek bone. 

 Having neither needles nor thread to sew it up, and 

 it being in an impossible place to bandage, there was 

 nothing for it but to leave it to nature. Luckily, 

 being in perfect health, it healed up straight away 

 by first intention, in spite of being left exposed to 

 the sun ; and though I still bear a scar, which serves 

 as a souvenir of the most unfortunate and eventful 

 day's elephant-shooting in which I ever took part, I 

 was able to shoot again in about ten days' time. My 

 shoulder was much bruised, and I must have ruptured 

 some of the fibres of the muscles, for it was more 

 than three months before I could hold my arm 

 straight out at right angles to my body, though I 

 could shoot with it perfectly well all the time. 



Want of food forced us to abandon the search for 

 the wounded elephant — which in such bush, and 

 without spoor, would have been rather like looking 

 for a needle in a bundle of hay — so we made our 



