A BURNING SUN. 291 



"different fires, preparatory to being sent home to the 

 village. A glass of grog and bed followed. 



Next morning I started by moonlight, accompanied 

 by Moloka, Chippootoola, and three men, with the 

 intention of trying to get a shot at buffalo and return 

 to breakfast. Before starting I only took a bowl of 

 tea and a biscuit. We saw no buffalo, but just after 

 daylight came on the fresh spoor of a large herd of 

 elephants. Having taken up the tracks at a brisk 

 pace, we soon found that they were leading us straight 

 away from home. This looked bad for breakfast, but 

 what else could be done ? A consultation was held. 

 Moloka said, "Massa no take breakfast, and no bring 

 anything to eat or drink, by-and-by massa plenty 

 hungry. Elephant go long way." I replied I was 

 ready to follow the spoor ; and as Moloka said, if I 

 could go all day without grub, he could do so also, we 

 resolved to follow up the game, and went in search of 

 it. After travelling straight away from home for 

 three hours, we came on a place where the elephants 

 had evidently stopped to feed, as the surrounding 

 ground was much trodden down, branches of trees 

 lately stripped of their leaves, lying strewn about, 

 while, from the freshness of the spoor, it was evident 

 that they had only just left. The sun was now actu- 

 ally roasting. I don't think I ever felt it so powerful 

 before. The ground was so hot that I could scarcely 

 keep my hand on the soles of my boots, while my 

 feet were throbbing within them, and very painful. 



At 12.30 we came up with the herd, which was 

 scattered about, some standing in the bed of the river, 

 while others had sought the shelter of the many 



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