140 TllACKS OF A HERD. 



repeated. There now was no doubt as to wliat it was. 

 There ivere ele|)hants in the reeds, though some dis- 

 tance off, and the Ajawah had proved he was no 

 humbug. He exhibited his delight by having a 

 quiet dance to himself, singing all the while in a 

 low tone. In the meantime, after looking to the 

 guns, I asked, "iVre there no trees on the other side?" 

 The answer was, " No, all reeds and bamboos." In 

 another minute we were wading the river. Soon 

 after entering these dense reeds I found the fresh 

 spoor and followed it up. Most of this place was so 

 thick, that had it not been for the elephants having 

 made a path, we could not have got through it ; but 

 as we were on the right road, it did not matter. 



I soon ascertained that the herd was not many 

 minutes before us. Their tracks took us down 

 to the river, where it was evident they had been 

 drinking ; and then crossing it, they had gone along 

 the bank for some little distance, but finding the 

 country on this side too much exposed, had recrossed 

 to the reeds again. The line they took was straight 

 away from the river, and of course, as far as we were 

 concerned, straight away from home. I began to 

 think about no dinner, no bed, &c., but I kept those 

 unpleasant thoughts to myself. I was in hopes 

 that when we did come up with the herd, it would 

 be in some more favourable ground ; and so it was, 

 for as we left the rank vegetation which is to be found 

 along the banks of rivers behind, the green reeds be- 

 gan to disappear, and we were soon sufficiently far 

 from the influence of the water to be amongst dry 

 reeds, and long grass, through which it was much 



