CHAPTER VI 



Cutting out ivory — Game of all sorts — Hippo shooting — A fine waterbuck 

 — Christmas Day — Our respective kits — A band of Galla horsemen — 

 Fording the Hawash and the Cubanoar — A refractory camel — A 

 Christmas dinner. 



Next morning, as soon as it was light, we started off to 

 cut out the ivory. It was by no means easy to find 

 the carcases. W.'s shikari had taken the precaution to 

 mark the track of the elephant, with the result that the 

 natives had been there before him, and cut off the tail, 

 which they greatly prize. B. and his men were hunting 

 for his share for over two hours. I found my first 

 elephant easily and took a photo as it lay. In addition 

 to the tusks and a tooth, I removed the forefeet, the tail, 

 ears, and a roll of skin. While hunting for the second 

 animal, I found another carcase, but whether it was 

 one I had wounded or not, we could not tell. The 

 spherical two-ounce ball, with ten drams of black powder, 

 had, I found, in each case pierced the skull just between 

 the eyes and at the root of the trunk. I do not think 

 the .400 bullets, even if accurately placed, would have 

 penetrated to the brain. I had not seen my ammunition 

 before it was packed, and, on opening it, was surprised 



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