20 ADVENTURES OF AN ELEPHANT HUNTER CH. 



every now and then encountering a living wall of 

 vegetation through which they had passed with 

 ease, but which had closed in behind their 

 ponderous tread and left a narrow passage along 

 which we could only struggle and crawl with the 

 greatest difficulty. Under such conditions, the 

 utmost caution must be used in tracking, for the 

 slightest noise may at any moment render futile 

 hours of exhausting work. Around us the grass 

 towered twelve to sixteen feet high, narrowing 

 the view to a few feet on any side, and in the 

 confinement of this vigorous, rampant growth the 

 heat was stifling. Thirst, which had, on our 

 starting out, been an acute discomfort, now became 

 almost unbearable, but still we hung tenaciously 

 on to the spoor, and I had just observed with some 

 uneasiness that the currents of air were blowing 

 from all quarters, when we heard an ominous 

 crashing through the bush. For the second time 

 they had winded us and bolted ! Words are 

 inadequate to describe the annoyance we ex- 

 perienced, and, too tired, thirsty, and disappointed 

 to speak or think, we flung ourselves down for 

 a well-earned respite. An overwhelming desire to 

 sleep came over me, and, utterly reckless of sun- 

 stroke, I was about to indulge in a brief doze, when 

 Simba offered me his snuff-box. I am not in 

 the habit of indulging in snuff, but I must admit 



