280 FRESH SPOOR. 



viewed going full speed, and as there could be no 

 doubt that the wounded one was amongst their num- 

 ber and "going strong," it was thought necessary to 

 give up the chase and return, especially as our backs 

 were turned both to water and our party. I was 

 sorry to be obliged to do so, as there was much 

 blood on the tracks, but there was nothing else 

 for it. It was some time before we rejoined 

 our party, as in the excitement of the pursuit we 

 had gone further than we would have wished. I 

 found all hard at work cooking koodoo meat, the 

 men having lighted several fires, and the beautiful 

 skin was pegged out in the sun to dry. All were 

 singing out for water, and Moloka proposed that 

 as we were not far from the Moanza, though much 

 further down the river than where we purposed 

 camping, we should go and drink at once, and con- 

 tinue the march in the evening. 



Diverging to the left of our original course, we 

 entered a forest of large trees, whose shade from the 

 scorching sun was appreciated by all. As we were 

 getting over the ground at a good pace, a short whis- 

 tle attracted my attention, and looking round, I saw 

 Chippootoola, who had been walking some twenty 

 yards to the left of our line, on his hands and knees, 

 intently examining something on the hard ground. As 

 he beckoned to us, Moloka and I were soon at his 

 side, and ascertained that Chippootoola's discovery 

 was nothing less than the apparently fresh spoor of 

 an elephant. The ground was so hard and dry that at 

 first we could make but little of it ; but soon we got 

 into some sandy soil, where the tracking became easy, 



