- Elephant-Hunting 



rhinoceros-paths into the sodden jungle, which I reached 

 in about three-quarters of an hour. 



After crossing a great number of deep ravines, which 

 we did with much difficulty, our clothes almost torn off us 

 and covered all over with mud, we succeeded in getting 

 near the bulls, which were slowly making for the thickets 

 up above. Coming upon the tracks of one of these, we 

 followed them breathlessly, expecting every moment to 

 come upon him. At last I saw him standing in the 

 shade of some tall trees. But so dense was the jungle 

 that I could not make out very distinctly the reddish 

 grey body of the animal at the distance of fifty paces or 

 so and could not count upon hitting him effectively. All 

 torn and scratched by the thorns, there I watted for 

 several anxious minutes in suspense. Presently the huge 

 animal disappears to the left, and, followed by my two 

 men with my reserve rifles, I make after him to the right, 

 hoping in this way to come upon him suddenly. In front 

 of him lies a deep ravine, through which we hasten. As 

 we emerge from it on the other side we hear a gentle 

 rustling. 



" Tembo, bwana ! " (" The elephant, master ") whispers 

 one of my men. 



"Hapana! Nyama ndogo ! " (''No, small animal!") 

 I answer. 



That moment the big bushes growing amid the tall 

 grass (more than ten feet high) went asunder right and 

 left, the slender trunks splitting and cracking as they 

 came down upon us and forced us on to the ground, and 

 in another second the elephant rushed past us barely a 



195 



