CHAPTER IX 



THE STRUGGLE OF THE TITANS 



ON October nth, 1911, while in the vicinity of 

 the Luwegu River, we came upon the tracks of a 

 herd of eight bull elephants that had been feeding 

 near our camp during the previous night, and at 

 once started in pursuit. By ten o'clock, we were 

 fast approaching our quarry and knew by the 

 pronounced odour pervading the air that some of 

 the bulls among the herd were very old. (In ex- 

 planation, let me state here that each animal of the 

 chase gives off a distinctive odour by which the 

 experienced hunter can infallibly tell whether he is 

 in the vicinity of lion, buffalo, water-buck, eland or 

 elephant, etc., as the case may be, or whether these 

 beasts have recently passed.) They were making 

 slow progress, sauntering to and fro, stopping here 

 and there to browse, and occasionally smashing a 

 tree on their way ; so congratulating ourselves that 

 there was no wind, and praying that it would hold 

 off, we followed the clear impressions of their 



