CH.XXIV NERVES AT NTUNKWAE 223 



known to them, and had exceptionally small feet in 

 comparison with the enormous size of his tusks. 



The idea of an elephant hunt did not appeal to me 

 in my low state of health as the most desirable thing 

 on earth, but, persuaded by their persistent entreaties, 

 I at length decided to set out in a maschilla for the 

 native hunters' camp, for I was much too weak to do 

 any prolonged marching. Arriving at my destina- 

 tion about ten o'clock, I saw the remains of their 

 companion who had been killed the previous 

 evening, and, as long as I live, I shall never 

 forget the sight! His body was shockingly 

 trampled, his head crushed to a pulp, as if it 

 had been pounded under a steam hammer, and in 

 his stomach there was a frightful gash inflicted by 

 the animal's tusk. To a man whose energy had 

 been sapped by a month's fever, the spectacle was 

 not an encouraging preliminary to setting out on an 

 elephant hunt, so, striving to forget the ghastly 

 details of the affair, I took leave of the native 

 hunters and, accompanied by my trackers and men, 

 began my search for the murderer's spoor. Ere 

 long, we came upon his tracks, which crossed and 

 recrossed in the bamboos and long jungle grass 

 abounding in this part of the country, and after a 

 few hours' steady progress, knew, by the clear 

 impressions of his feet, that we were drawing closer 

 to our quarry. I now got out of my maschilla, and 



