84 ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



south, and followed it due east until the sun went down, 

 when we halted for the night. While spooring we met 

 the country in flames far and wide, but we crossed the 

 fire, and found the spoor beyond. We saw a troop of 

 eight fat male elands, and a troop of eight giraffes. 



Next day we followed the spoor for several miles in 

 an easterly course, when it took a turn to the north- 

 west, through most horrible wait-a-bit thorns. About 

 mid-day we came up with the elephants. The troop 

 consisted of one mighty bull, and two bulls three parts 

 grown. I first shot the best of the two small bulls, and 

 then the old bull. The natives and all my dogs had 

 kept him in view, and one fellow had pricked him in 

 the stern with an assagai. Upon the strength of this, 

 the Bechuanas came up and claimed him as theirs 

 when he fell ; but on my threatening to leave their 

 country, they relinquished the idea. 



On the 16th and 17th I bagged two first-rate bull 

 elephants in the level forests to the eastward of Mang- 

 maluky. 



On the 18th, after breakfast, I rode to Mangmaluky 

 to water my horses. One old bull elephant had been 

 there, but the natives had too much flesh, and would 

 not spoor. I rested all day, expecting my wagons, but 

 they did not appear. At night a panther came within 

 ten yards of my fire, and killed Cradock and disabled 

 Wolf, my two best elephant dogs. 



On the 21st I held south, down a beautiful wide val 

 ley full of very green trees of various kinds. This v>'^as 

 evidently a favorite haunt with the elephants: every 

 tree bore their marks. At the southern end of this val- 

 ley was one of the most interesting fountains I ever be- 

 held; the water came gushing down through the wild- 

 est chasm, formed of one succession of huge masses of 



