Lake Victoria to Khartoum 



ambushed by elephants. One can easily see 

 through the tips of the grass. But, of course, 

 if one stumbles into the middle of a herd unex- 

 pectedly, things are apt to be a little too exciting ! 



Well, the savages who had located the ele- 

 phants, self, my orderlies, who were soldiers from 

 my regiment, a porter carrying my food-and- 

 drink box, and one or two others with axes, etc., 

 made an early start from my camp, and at about 

 8.30 a.m. came up with the rear-guard of the 

 herd, consisting of about twenty cows and young. 

 One of the cows had somehow perched herself 

 on the top of a tree-grown ant-mound, not as a 

 sentry though, for she was quietly feeding. We 

 shifted off down wind so as to keep well clear of 

 them, when suddenly they took alarm — what at 

 I can't think — and bolted. Then we came across 

 a single bull, out by himself, but we voted him too 

 small, and so allowed him to wend his way in 

 peace to join company with his destructive 

 harem. 



On we went in the tracks of the main crush. 

 The great quadrupeds by trampling down the 

 grass had made a regular high road for us along 

 which walking was easy. As we progressed 

 the changing colour of the dung informed us we 

 were gaining on the herd. At last we made the 

 huge brutes out, moving slowly along in two or 

 three parties, feeding as they went. 



We hung on and hung on, now on one side, 



no 



