138 BIG GAME SHOOTING 



the dense forest my otters were all gone the country was 

 not a tempting one for hunting, the thorns by the river being 

 almost impenetrable, and the jungle further off so matted and 

 bound together with creepers and monkey-ropes that I had 

 determined not to try it again. The noonday heat had stilled 

 the earth of all distinguishable sounds, though the unbroken 

 monotonous hum of insect life, the never-failing accompaniment 

 of a piping hot day, seemed to fill and load the head and 

 sultry air. I had nothing to watch, less to do, and was not 

 sleepy ; the silence burdened me : and at length, to break it, I 

 shouted to my after-rider, who was enjoying his siesta some 

 distance off under the waggons, to saddle the horses, and tak- 

 ing my gun, I mounted and rode along one of the narrow game 

 tracks into the thicket, picking up a Bushman who had remained 

 behind at the encampment. For some time the only living 

 thing we saw was an old bull buffalo, which with lowered head 

 seemed inclined to bar the road until, threatened by the Bush- 

 man's spear, he sulkily withdrew. We had no need of him, and 

 were content to let him go in peace. A shot would have dis- 

 turbed the elephants we thought we might fall in with, for 

 though we were not on a trail, the fresh footprints which were 

 ever and again crossing the track, and the broken branches 

 with the sap yet undried, told us they had been there very 

 lately. Into the thorny barriers on either side of the way we 

 could not have followed them with our horses, even had we 

 wished, so we stuck to the path and kept our eyes open. 

 Presently the ground to our right with its sea of thorns rose 

 in a long low swell, and as it sank into the little hollow beyond, 

 five or six colossal bodiless legs stood out amongst the bare 

 lower stems of the closely woven branches. I slipped from 

 my pony, and crawling on hands and knees, got within twenty 

 yards of the legs, without being able to see anything more of 

 the owners. A large tree was in advance, round whose stem 

 the thorns did not press quite so pertinaciously as elsewhere. 

 Slowly and cautiously I gained its side. An elephant was close 

 to me, but though I could now see his body he was stern on. 



