496 AFRICAN GAME TRAILS 



baffled myriads outside the net. At the Sururu camp, how- 

 ever, we could sit at a table in front of the tents, after sup- 

 per or dinner, whichever one chose to call it and read by 

 lamplight, in the still, cool, pleasant air; or walk up and 

 down the hard, smooth elephant path which led by the 

 tents, looking at the large red moon just risen, as it 

 hung low over the horizon, or later, when, white and 

 clear, it rode high in the heavens and flooded the land 

 with its radiance. 



There was a swamp close by, and we went through this 

 the first afternoon in search of buffalo. We found plenty of 

 sign; but the close-growing reeds were ten feet high, and 

 even along the winding buffalo trails by which alone they 

 could be penetrated it was impossible to see a dozen paces 

 ahead. Inside the reeds it was nearly impossible to get to 

 the buffalo, or at least to be sure to kill only a bull, which 

 was all I wanted; and at this time when the moon was just 

 past the full, these particular buffalo only came out into 

 the open to feed at night, or very early in the morning and 

 late in the evening. But Sururu said that there were other 

 buffalo which lived away from the reeds, among the thorn- 

 trees on the grassy flats and low hills; and he volunteered 

 to bring me information about them on the morrow. Sure 

 enough, shortly before eleven next morning, he turned 

 up with the news that he had found a solitary bull only 

 about five miles away. Grogan and I at once started back 

 with him, accompanied by our gun-bearers. The country 

 was just such as that in which we had hitherto found our 

 rhinos; and there was fresh sign of rhino as well as buffalo. 

 The thorny, scantily leaved trees were perhaps a little 

 closer together than in most places, and there were a good 

 many half-burned patches of tall grass. We passed a 

 couple of ponds which must have been permanent, as water- 

 lilies were growing in them; at one a buffalo had been 

 drinking. It was half-past twelve when we reached the 

 place where Sururu had seen the bull. We then advanced 

 with the utmost caution as the wind was shifty, and although 



