REMARKABLE STORY. 315 



sudden, and to me perfectly astonishing and inex- 

 plicable, appearance of these carnivorants, strongly 

 reminded me of the approach of a flock of vultures. 



The following morning I breakfasted on an 

 elephant's foot, done under the ashes, and a dish 

 of honey a meal fit, for a king. 



One more " stalk " after elephants, and I have 

 done with the subject. The story I am about to 

 relate is chiefly remarkable from the singular pre- 

 sentiment of success that preceded its occurrence, 

 which I not only felt, but announced to several 

 persons. 



"We were travelling at the time in the dry bed of 

 the Omuramba, a periodical water-course, when I 

 was on my way to the river Okovango, and my 

 illness had for a time taken a favourable turn, when 

 traces of elephants became very numerous. Our 

 larder was then all but exhausted, so I determined 

 on replenishing it by a hunt for some of this big 

 game as soon as certain intelligence could be ob- 

 tained of its whereabouts. 



And I had not long to wait ; for early on the 

 following morning we crossed the fresh spoor 

 of a middle-sized bull-elephant. r'ivo minutes 

 afterwards, I was in hot pursuit of the animal ; 

 and in less than an hour, he having " doubled " 

 on his track, 1 suddenly found myself lace to 

 face with him in a dense brake, the distance be- 

 tween us certainly not exceeding some fifteen 

 paces. Foreseeing the consequences that might 

 ensue, I felt at first averse to fire in my rather 

 awkward position, but there was no alternative. 



