i62 A HUNTER'S WANDERINGS ch. 



zebras, and as usual any amount of impalas, pookoos, 

 and baboons, which latter quaint-looking beasts swarm 

 along the Zambesi and Chobe. When near the 

 upper extremity of the flats we cut the fresh spoor of 

 a troop of elephant cows, so, after putting down all 

 the baggage and leaving two of the Kafirs in charge 

 till our return, I at once set the Bushmen to follow 

 them. The spoor took us right through the belt of 

 jungle which lines the river, and out into a forest of 

 goussy trees with very little underwood on the other 

 side. Here it became involved in a labyrinth of 

 other spoor of elephants that had only passed a short 

 time before, and all the science of my two Bushmen 

 (and better or more experienced hands on a game 

 trail I never saw) did not suffice to unravel it, so at 

 length I was forced to give it up. On the way back 

 to the river we again crossed the spoor of two 

 elephant cows, accompanied by several young animals 

 of various sizes, so, thinking they would probably 

 not be very far off in the bush, I followed them, and 

 about an hour later the Bushman who was in front 

 suddenly crouched down, and after peering eagerly 

 through the jungle in front of him for a few 

 moments, turned and whispered the well-known 

 " Nansia " (There they are). The wind was perfectly 

 fair, blowing strongly from the elephants towards 

 where we stood, so taking my gun I walked quietly 

 forwards to reconnoitre. As we had divined from 

 the spoor, there were only two cows worth shooting, 

 the largest of which was standing broadside to me, so, 

 creeping noiselessly to within twenty yards, I gave 

 her a ball in the very centre of the shoulder. The 

 shot was followed by a rush, as the affrighted herd 

 crashed through the bush, breaking everything before 

 them, and not giving me a chance at the other cow 



