THE ELEPHAN Y 207 
Ss eandlee other kinds of game, excepting in very thick bush, or 
_ when the particular game sought after is scarce, as game can 
_ generally be found in the open, provided the sportsman is 
- on the feeding grounds early enough in the morning. With 
_ elephants the case is different, as they are great wanderers, 
and tracking is the universal method of finding them, the 
nature of the country in which they are found (generally 
_ forest, bush, or tall cane-like grass) being very unfavourable 
_ forseeing them at any distance. It is therefore necessary to 
_ make an early start, as much time is often lost before finding 
_ spoor sufficiently fresh to follow. Even when found, and 
though it appears to indicate that the elephants have just 
passed, the sportsman may have to follow it for several hours 
before coming up with them. Perhaps few things will try 
perseverance and endurance more than elephant hunting, as 
_ even though the spoor seems not more than a few minutes old, 
and though there is apparently every hope of approaching 
the beasts very shortly, delays are often caused by having to 
‘pick out the spoor of particular animals from a number of 
her tracks, and the knowledge that the beasts are in all pro- 
ability gaining on him during these delays is decidedly trying 
to a man’s patience. After such delays the sportsman may 
sh going, soon tells on him, and after three or four hours 
/mo means an unusual time) he begins to feel a little 
n on his luck, and to despair of ever seeing the game 
n, when possibly he comes across the place where they 
‘stood or stopped to feed. Here he may find fresh dung, 
which some of his men will eagerly thrust their toes to 
whether it is still warm or not. If it is, he starts off with 
wed energy and buoyed up with fresh hope. Further on 
be indications that the elephants have again stopped to 
,and the hunter’s spirits go up with a bound at the know- 
that he must have gained on them, only to be damped 
le later on when he finds that they have again moved on. 
h feeling inclined to throw up the whole thing in despair, 
