heavy double '577, said that he was thoroughly 

 exhausted and could go no further, so taking the 

 weapon myself, I sent him back, instructing him 

 to make for the river by keeping in a straight 

 line, a little to the left of the rising sun. Once 

 more Simba and I trudged wearily along on the 



THE THREE ELEPHANTS. 



spoor, buoyed up with the hope that the herd 

 would halt on reaching the bush and give us the 

 opportunity for which we longed, but, alas ! that 

 hope was to be dashed rudely to the ground ! 

 For four interminable hours we followed them 

 across a terrible country, one expanse of dense 

 thicket, long elephant grass, and thorny scrub, 



c 2 



