-^ 



After Elephants with Wandorobo 



when incidents of this kind have been heaped up one on 

 another within a brief space of time, the effects upon the 

 nervous system become so great that even with the utmost 

 self-mastery a man ceases to be able to bear them. As 

 I have already said, the total number of casualties in the 

 ranks of African sportsmen is not inconsiderable. 



In Germany, of course, we have time-honoured sports 

 of a dangerous nature too, but these are exceptions — for 

 instance, killing the wild boar with a spear, and mountain- 

 climbing and stalking. 



In order to understand fully the mental condition of the 

 sportsman in dangerous circumstances such as I have 

 described, it is necessary to realise the way in which he 

 is affected by his loneliness, his complete severance from 

 the rest of mankind. There is all the difference in the 

 world between the situation of a number of men taking 

 up a post of danger side by side, and that of the man who 

 stands by himself, either at the call of duty or impelled 

 by a sense of daring. He has to struggle with thoughts 

 and fears against which the others are sustained by mutual 

 example and encouragement. 



But, as I have said, the great fascination of sport in 

 the tropics lies precisely in the dangers attached. Therein, 

 too, lies the source of that pluck and vigour which the 

 sport-hardened Boers displayed in their struggles with 

 the English. The perils they had faced in their pursuit 

 of big game had made brave men of them. 



Now let us set out in company with the most expert 

 hunters of the velt on an expedition of a rather special 



