236 JIN ABU FINDS 



lays do not care for this kind of hunting. I in- 

 duced them, however, to go forward to where I had 

 shot, and for a while we tried to track the blood. 

 But the elephants were going straight and fast, 

 and the blood trail lasted only a short time; and 

 then we camped. That night I was given to under- 

 stand that our guide would turn back the next 

 morning, and that my Malays would not go without 

 him. It is rather hopeless to attempt persuasion 

 in a language of which you know only a few words ; 

 and all the sign talk I could bring to bear upon the 

 situation was unequal to the emergency. Threats, 

 cajolery, promises of presents— nothing availed; 

 and the next morning we turned our faces toward 

 the place from which we had set forth about a week 

 before. 



On the second day of our return journey we 

 found fresh tracks of two old elephants and a 

 young one, and these we trailed for four hours, 

 seeing plenty of old signs and plenty of new ones. 

 But when the tracks indicated that the elephants 

 had increased their pace, my party would go no 

 farther, and again we turned back. Two days 

 later we met a journeying native who had a house 

 near by, and who said he knew of elephants, to 

 which he promised to take me if I would give him 

 as a present my rifle (the 50) in addition to wages. 

 My own Malays bore an attitude of distinct disap- 



