HEADING THE ELEPHANT. 281 



and as this rover had here joined a large herd, we 

 followed up the spoor without any difficulty and at a 

 rattling pace. As'we got into the forest the density 

 both of the trees and underwood increased. Some- 

 times the tracks led us through patches of jungle that 

 we could not possibly have penetrated had it not 

 been for the engineers who had marked out our 

 route, and made our way easy. After >an hour of 

 this work, we found ourselves within fifty yards of a 

 large herd. It would be impossible to say how many, 

 but there must have been over a hundred. Unluckily, 

 while approaching them, they got wind of us, and the 

 result was a hasty and disorderly flight. I was tho- 

 roughly disgusted for a moment, thinking my chance 

 of a shot was gone ; but, when just on the brink of 

 despair, I observed a large bull that had no doubt 

 been separated from the body of the herd, walking 

 quietly along through the jungle. He was evidently 

 aware that his companions had made themselves 

 scarce, and swinging his enormous head, the supporter 

 of a fine pair of tusks, about, was employing the 

 powers of both eyes and trunk in the endeavour to 

 find out what route the herd had taken. 



Followed by Moloka, I ran to head him, in the 

 hope of cutting him off; and having succeeded in 

 reaching a large tree before him, I awaited his ap- 

 proach. On he came straight for us. Moloka was 

 delighted, and kept whispering in my ear, " Oh ! 

 grandy ! grandy !" meaning that he was a large one, 

 or that his tusks were fine. It was an anxious mo- 

 ment, for as he came nearer, swinging his head from 

 side to side, I observed that he carried a splendid 



