“100 BIG GAME SHOOTING 
remembered that we had breakfasted ea:ly and that we ought 
to be hungry and thirsty. The Kafirs suggested that as the 
elephants had probably come from the water in the morning, 
we should find some in their stomachs, and they immediately 
set to work and opened a large tusker that was lying close to 
our bivouac. They found what they sought and, after a good 
pull, invited me to partake. I was very thirsty, and they seemed 
to have enjoyed their drink, so, by their directions, placing 
a small bunch of grass as a filter, I took a mouthful, but— 
well ! I immediately got rid of it—it was simply nitric acid. 
As the elephant was opened, however, the men were not going 
without dinner, and though I dare say it was horrible, there 
was at the same time something grand in the sight of the 
dark forest, lit sufficiently by the ruddy firelight to deepen the 
gloom beyond, with the naked savages, their blazing torches 
in their hands, walking about inside the cavernous ribs. A 
few choice morsels from the undercut of the sirloin broiled on 
the embers made a palatable supper, and, putting our feet to 
the blaze, we all fell asleep. 
Whiz ! ‘tao !’ whiz! woke me some time during the night, 
and, sitting up, I found the Kafirs throwing brands from the 
fire and shouting. A lion, no doubt attracted by the smell of 
blood, was tearing at the inside of the disembowelled elephant. 
I just got a glimpse of him, but it was too momentary for a 
shot. We slept, and were not again disturbed. I gave the 
dead beasts to the Ba Lala who had brought the information, 
telling them to send me the tusks, and returned to my waggon. 
The dozen were duly delivered in four or five days’ time, though 
the waggons had gone fifty miles farther down the Limpopo. 
It was always so. Once the chief of a large tribe of Bushmen 
came running—as we were inspanning for the march—with a 
request that I would shoot two elephants, which he had just 
seen coming up from the river, for him and his people. I was 
very unwilling to stop the trek ; telling the men therefore to go 
on, and saying I would overtake them, I jumped on a horse and 
went off with my Bushman, he keeping well in front, though I 
Fe ee nT ee Pee ee 
chan Blin em it in Wee A ogy 
