194 ON THE TRACK OF ELEPHANTS. 



far, when a fine solitary bull buffalo galloped past 

 me. The gumtickler was on my shoulder, and I 

 could not help throwing it up to fire, but it was 

 scarcely levelled when the hand of my guide struck the 

 barrels down, telling me I must not fire, as we were 

 near the elephant-ground, and I Avould frighten them 

 away. Thus this fine bull escaped unharmed. As 

 we passed through the forest I saw" a herd of water- 

 buck, some female koodoos, two herds of hartebeest, 

 and several gazelles, but I was not tempted by any of 

 them. 



The country soon became more undulating, and 

 the forest less dense. As I passed across a little val- 

 ley I had the satisfaction to see the fresh spoor of what 

 at first appeared to be an elephant, but subsequently 

 proved to be the footprints of a small herd. The 

 reason of this delusion was that when elephants are 

 travelling they generally walk in single file, the 

 leader carefully surveying the ground with his trunk 

 before each step, and those behind him treading ex- 

 actly m his footsteps. Of course we were off on the 

 tracks at once, tliough my guide informed me that 

 they had gone a long way. This he said he knew 

 from the direction they had taken. After following 

 this apparently single track for a couple of miles, I 

 came to where tlie herd had scattered about and fed 

 on some young trees, which they had completely de- 

 stroyed, many being torn up by the roots, and clear- 

 ed of every leaf, and in some instances bark also. 

 I continued in the track of this herd till noon, 

 when the heat was so intense, that we sat down to 

 rest under the shade of a large tree. The thermo- 



