292 AFRICAN GAME TRAILS 



as nearly on the level with lion hunting, and as more dan- 

 gerous than buffalo hunting; and all three kinds as far 

 more dangerous than the chase of the rhino. Personally, I 

 believe the actual conflict with a lion, where the conditions 

 are the same, to be normally the more dangerous sport; 

 though far greater demands are made by elephant hunting 

 on the qualities of personal endurance and hardihood and 

 resolute perseverance in the face of disappointment and 

 difficulty. Buffalo, seemingly, do not charge as freely as 

 elephant, but are more dangerous when they do charge. 

 Rhino when hunted, though at times ugly customers, seem 

 to me certainly less dangerous than the other three; but 

 from sheer stupid truculence they are themselves apt to take 

 the offensive in unexpected fashion, being far more prone 

 to such aggression than are any of the others man-eating 

 lions always excepted. 



Very few of the native tribes in Africa hunt the elephant 

 systematically. But the 'Ndorobo, the wild bush people of 

 East Africa, sometimes catch young elephants in the pits 

 they dig with slow labor, and very rarely they kill one with 

 a kind of harpoon. The 'Ndorobo are doubtless in part de- 

 scended from some primitive bush people, but in part also 

 derive their blood from the more advanced tribes near which 

 their wandering families happen to live; and they grade 

 into the latter, by speech and through individuals who seem 

 to stand half-way between. Thus we had with us two Masai 

 'Ndorobo, true wild people, who spoke a bastard Masai; 

 who had formerly hunted with Cuninghame, and who came 

 to us because of their ancient friendship with him. These 

 shy woods creatures were afraid to come to Neri by day- 

 light, when we were camped there, but after dark crept to 

 Cuninghame's tent. Cuninghame gave them two fine red 

 blankets, and put them to sleep in a little tent, keeping 

 their spears in his own tent, as a measure of precaution 

 to prevent their running away. The elder of the two, he 

 informed me, would certainly have a fit of hysterics when 

 we killed our elephant! Cuninghame was also joined by 



