HUNTING AND HUNTED IN BELGIAN CONGO 



discovered elephant tracks not more than a few hours 

 old, which we followed up until late in the afternoon 

 when I heard a low rumbling sound. One of the Shinzis 

 climbed a tree and reported a herd just ahead of us in 

 long grass. Moving on again we got to within sixty yards 

 of them. Mounting an ant-hill I could just see their 

 backs and an occasional ear flapping like a huge sail, 

 when they got our wind and with a shrill trumpeting 

 the females called to the young ones, and they stampeded, 

 the earth trembling as they thundered along. 



The game was up for that day, so we returned to 

 camp, where I found a crowd of the Shinzis who, on seeing 

 me, dragged forward the two deserters of the previous 

 night, hands bound with pieces of grass rope and hide, 

 and a huge thong fastened round the neck of one and 

 tied to the wrist of the other. What woe-begone counte- 

 nances they had ! They were so utterly ashamed of 

 themselves that the)' hung their heads and cried like 

 children. Their captors, of whom there appeared to be 

 at least two dozen, stood proudly by, while the chief 

 came forward to receive the reward of cloth which was 

 fully earned. Of course he asked for more, which he 

 did not get ! I have stated elsewhere that a promise 

 made to a native should be kept to the letter, but it is 

 unwise to go beyond what was originally promised, or 

 the natives will only be encouraged to impose upon you. 

 It is as bad to give a native too much as too little. 



Ordering Salem to untie the culprits, winch was no 

 small undertaking, I made them lie face downwards while 

 Salem administered a few strokes of the sjambok. I 

 was determined to deal firmly in order to prevent any 

 recurrence of this sort of thing. Every one was vividly 

 impressed at the ceremony, and spoke in whispers for 

 the rest of the day. 



One or two of the boys had rather severe attacks of 

 fever here, and consequently required doctoring up. 



96 



