196 LARGE GAME. CHAP. iv. 



reached that river, or he had come across my spoor and 

 that had started him off. His own was faint enough to 



o 



give us some trouble, and consisted chiefly of a series of 

 smudges, such as might have been made by a very broad 

 cart-wheel hopping over the ground, but there was no 

 real difficulty, and we followed him rapidly across the 

 broad undulating flats that intervened between us and 

 the Nkwavuma, where it was possible that he might halt 

 in the reeds, though they were not sufficiently extensive 

 for him to remain in. This was reached about mid-day, 

 and we found that the elephant had not even paused, but 

 crossing it high up, was heading for the upper part of the 

 Pongolo, and we foresaw from its line that we should have 

 to sleep far away from water, though after the late rains 

 we did not fear thirst. 



It was wonderful the amount of game we saw about 

 here, and the quantity of fresh buffalo spoor that covered 

 the ground, though scarcely two months before we had 

 been forced to shift our camp from this very spot on 

 account of its scarcity. We kept steadily on, however, 

 until dusk, when we again camped for the third night. 

 There was hardly anything to eat, and the little water we 

 found was filthy lukewarm stuff, barely drinkable, but 

 we were so tired that we soon forgot our hunger in sleep. 

 Fortunately, one of the men awaking at dawn saw a 

 duiker feeding close by and shot it, so that when we 

 were awoke by the report we were gladdened by the 

 sight of him returning with it. 



This delayed us a good deal, the hunter's rule being 

 to eat as much as he can whenever he has the chance, as 

 he never knows when he may get another meal, and so the 



