474 AFRICAN GAME TRAILS 



predominant ungulate group of the world. The hippo, 

 on the contrary, belongs with such cloven-hoofed creatures 

 as the cow and pig, in the group of ungulates which has 

 developed equally two main digits in each foot; a group 

 much more numerously represented than the other in the 

 world of to-day. 



As the hippos grew familiar with the camp they became 

 bolder and more venturesome after nightfall. They grunted 

 and brayed to one another throughout the night, splashed 

 and wallowed among the reeds, and came close to the tents 

 during their dry-land rambles in the darkness. One night, 

 in addition to the hippo chorus, we heard the roaring of 

 lions and the trumpeting of elephants. We were indeed 

 in the heart of the African wilderness. 



Early in the morning after this concert we started for 

 a day's rhino hunt, Heller and Cuninghame having just 

 finished the preparation, and transport to camp, of the 

 skin of Kermit's bull. Loring, who had not hitherto seen 

 either elephant or rhino alive, went with us; and by good 

 luck he saw both. 



A couple of miles from camp we were crossing a wide, 

 flat, swampy valley in which the coarse grass grew as tall 

 as our heads. Here and there were kob, which leaped up 

 on the ant-hills to get a clear view of us. Suddenly our 

 attention was attracted by the movements of a big flock 

 of cow-herons in front of us, and then watching sharply we 

 caught a glimpse of some elephants, about four hundred 

 yards off. We now climbed an ant-hill ourselves, and in- 

 spected the elephants, to see if among them were any big- 

 tusked bulls. There were no bulls, however; the little herd 

 consisted of five cows and four calves, which were march- 

 ing across a patch of burnt ground ahead of us, accom- 

 panied by about fifty white cow-herons. We stood where 

 we were until they had passed; we did not wish to get too 

 close, lest they might charge us and force us to shoot in 

 self-defence. They walked in unhurried confidence, and 

 yet were watchful, continually cocking their ears and rais- 



