210 BIG GAME SHOOTING 



completely obliterated the spoor of the wounded bull. As this 

 herd had passed since the rain had stopped, evidently within 

 about two hours, I decided to follow them, but had not gone 

 more than half a mile before we found that they had split 

 up, five big fellows going off to the left, up wind, whilst the 

 rest of the herd kept straight on, across the wind. After 

 a short consultation, we decided to follow these five big ones, 

 and we went off at a killing pace through the long grass, in 

 spite of the ploughed-up condition of the path, and at the 

 end of an hour and a half came to a small deep stream which 

 the elephants had crossed. As I was already wet through from 

 the grass, and as my boots were worn out and full of holes, 

 which prevented them holding water and making a ' squishing ' 

 noise, I waded across this stream, and ascended the steep bank 

 on the other side, which was covered with dense bush and 

 thick forest trees. Here we came across a small mud-hole 

 where the elephants had rolled, whilst a little further on they 

 had stopped to rub themselves against the trees. They had 

 then left this belt of bush and forest, and gone on across un- 

 dulating country covered with long cane-like grass and a few 

 small trees, one or two of which they had torn down, and had 

 loitered to feed on the young shoots and twigs. We also found 

 fresh dung which was still warm inside when I kicked off the 

 outer surface and tested it with the back of my hand. This 

 was decidedly encouraging, and we pushed on as fast as we could 

 plod through the heavy ground. A little further on we received 

 a check, as another small herd had got on to the track, but 

 fortunately had turned off in a different direction after going a 

 few hundred yards, and we were once more able to get along 

 and make up for lost time. About eleven o'clock I sat down to 

 have a short rest, but on starting again and arriving at the top 

 of a big rise, from which I had a good view of the surrounding 

 country, I felt inclined to give in, as I could see no covert in which 

 the elephants were likely to take up their quarters for the day. 

 We went on, however, and shortly afterwards came to a 

 patch of dense bush down in a hollow, which I had been 



