IN THE ELEPHANT FOREST. 371 



way here and there where the animal trails 

 would take us, looking always for fresh elephant 

 spoor. It would have been quite impossible to 

 have moved about in any other fashion. The 

 timber grew on hillsides, and was very lofty 

 and impressive ; and the tropical undergrowth 

 grew tall, rank, and impenetrable. We could 

 proceed only by means of the kind assistance of 

 the elephant, the buffalo, and the rhinoceros. 



Elephant spoor we found, but none made 

 later than three weeks before. The trails were 

 broad, solid paths through the forest, as ancient 

 and beaten as though they had been in con- 

 tinuous use for years. Unlike the rhino and 

 buffalo trails, they gave us head room and to 

 spare. The great creatures had by sheer might 

 cut their way through the dense, tough growth, 

 leaving twisted, splintered, wrecked jungle be- 

 hind them, but no impediment. 



By means of these beautiful trails we went 

 quietly, penetrating farther and farther into the 

 jungle. Our little procession of ten made no 

 noise. If we should strike fresh elephant tracks, 

 thus would we hunt them, with all our worldly 

 goods at our backs, so that at night we could 

 camp right on the trail. 



The day passed almost without incident. 



