146 A HUNTER'S WANDERINGS ch. 



streams, that here form a sort of network between 

 the Chobe and the Zambesi. As we proceeded, 

 traces of the presence of elephants and buffaloes 

 became more and more frequent, and we kept a sharp 

 look-out for fresh spoor ; from time to time herds of 

 pookoo antelopes (a rare species of water-buck only 

 found along the banks of the Chobe and Zambesi 

 rivers), disturbed by our approach whilst feeding 

 close along the water, eyed us curiously, and then 

 bounded up into the jungle. Three of them, 

 however, fell to our rifles in the course of the fore- 

 noon, one of which — a young ram — was the first of 

 these animals I ever shot. As it was Sunday, and we 

 wished to cut up the meat of the three pookoos, we 

 came to a halt soon after mid-day, and finding a 

 convenient place, cleared a spot just within the edge 

 of the bush, where we might arrange our camp for 

 the night. 



About a couple of hours before sundown, being 

 tired of sitting still, and wishing to see if there were 

 any elephant spoor about in the neighbourhood, I 

 called up my Kafirs, and started on a tour of 

 inspection. As we advanced into the bush, we found 

 the tracks of elephants and buffaloes crossing and 

 recrossing it in all directions, so much so indeed 

 that I almost expected to run across a herd of the 

 former that very evening, and felt sure I should see 

 some of the latter coming down to drink before long. 

 About an hour's walk from our camp I crossed an 

 open valley, running down at right angles to the 

 river, between two sand-ridges covered with dense 

 jungle, down which ran several large game paths, 

 leading to the water, and well trampled by buffaloes 

 and elephants. From the great quantity of spoor — 

 of all dates up to the preceding night — I had no 



