56 Wild Life in Central Africa. 



lunch and water to sit down and wait, and gave Kamwendo 

 the -400 single cordite and took the 7-9 mm. Rigby, and 

 we approached the monsters. 



Suddenly the elephants began walking fast in our 

 direction, and, as the grass was long, Kamwendo and I 

 made for a more open part where there was some timber, 

 and when we reached a fairly large-sized tree I stopped. 



The game did not seem to be much alarmed, and I 

 thought they would stand every moment. The three beasts, 

 the largest being a splendid bull with long white tusks quite 

 6olb. each, passed me at a fast walk ; and I have regretted 

 many times since that I did not fire at him then, as I might 

 have got to his heart or lungs. However, as I object to 

 fire risky moving shots at such fine animals, I waited for 

 him to stand. Instead of doing so, the elephants suddenly 

 got the wind of the men I had left behind, and they 

 suddenly put up their tails and started off at full pace, and 

 then got into the thick grass. I had spoilt a fine chance in 

 not taking a snapshot, and lost two splendid tusks, so I 

 was not in a good temper when I sat down to have some 

 food after a most tiring and exciting morning's work. A 

 smoke soon put me into a better frame of mind, and I 

 thought I might see the same elephant again some day ; 

 which was really not much satisfaction, as elephants travel 

 long distances and do not come to be shot. After lunch 

 I took the spoor and followed for about four miles, but the 

 elephants never slowed down, and I knew they would not 

 likely stop for many miles, so I trudged back to camp 

 without the tail which is usually cut off to show that there 

 is an elephant less in Africa. 



Every sportsman has to put up with misfortune, and I 

 was no stranger to it ; but 1 knew the luck would change 

 with some more hard leg work. Elephant spooring is hard 

 work, for the country to be traversed is often very stiff 

 going, and it is this that makes the disappointments in 

 elephant shooting so hard to bear. It is not usual to get 

 up to an elephant without going through dense country, and 

 the prolonged excitement tires one almost as much as the 



