52 THROUGH GASA LAND. 



on the other hand, the paunch be full, seven or eight 

 hours may transpire before it comes to the surface. 

 I account for this by the supposition that in the 

 former instance there is more room for the genera- 

 tion of gas. 



However, we feared that our fusillade would 

 disturb the elephants, and in this we were not mis- 

 taken. Once across the river we found spoor. The 

 party was a small one and all bulls, two of which 

 appeared to be giants. This the hunter learns from 

 the size of the footprints and their shape, the inden- 

 tation of the cow's trail being longer in proportion to 

 its breadth than is that of the males. 



As there was every probability that there was 

 some heavy ivory among these gentlemen, we hurried 

 up our pace with the hope of soon overtaking them, 

 but that was not to be. In and out, through timber, 

 then skirting it, afterwards along the river bed we 

 trudged. Seldom were the trackers at fault, and 

 when such was the case, I, for one, considered it 

 a perfect relief. How I envied our boys ! They 

 stole over the ground as silently as spirits, and 

 still kept up their long, swinging gait. True they 

 were not hampered with clothes ; but what could we 

 have done in a state of puris naturalibus ? Towards 

 eleven o'clock the heat became stifling, and the 

 mosquitoes perfectly dreadful. The perspiration 

 seemed to make a watercourse down my back, and 

 a lodging-place in each eye ; but give up I would 



