XXIV A FINE ROAN ANTELOPE 265 



a time, the buffalo had struck across the river, going 

 due south. We followed till late in the afternoon, but 

 as the beasts were evidently bound for fresh feeding- 

 grounds, I had reluctantly to give them up. We saw 

 several skulls lying by the river, belonging, the natives 

 said, to beasts which had died of the rinderpest a few 

 years before. 



Next day I made a later start, for I think we were 

 all a bit tired. From a little hill-top I soon saw some 

 tora, and then a fine herd of roan, round which we 

 started to circle, but they moved on to very open ground, 

 and approaching them was slow work. While lying by 

 a tree watching them, a fine bull came from behind us 

 and followed the herd. We ran towards him whenever 

 a tree or mound hid him, but I had eventually to fire 

 at very long range, hitting a foreleg. We started after 

 him, but unfortunately jumped him in thick bush without 

 being able to get a shot. While slowly following the 

 track over hard ground among some big trees, one of 

 the escort, who joined in, suddenly pulled my coat, 

 and, looking up, I saw standing not 20 paces from us 

 an elephant. His head was slightly turned away from 

 us, a large tree being between me and him. The 

 native offered me his rest to fire from, and as I declined 

 it, he put up his own weapon, a Gras, but Ali stopped 

 him. The slio^ht noise had attracted the beast's attention, 

 and as he slowly turned his head towards us I saw that 

 the tusks were but poor. I signed to the native to 

 fire, which he did through the branches of the tree, 

 aiming for no special part of the animal. As he fired 

 he turned to bolt, but not wishing to have the elephant 



