CHAPTER YI 



AFTER ELEPHANT AT BAEINGO 



Two bull-elepliants having been reported in the 

 neighbourhood, we rested a couple of days at Baringo 

 awaiting further news ; but the native trackers sent out 

 to locate the elephants having failed to do so, we 

 resumed our march northwards. On the night of 

 August 20 we were encamped beneath the conical mass 

 of Njoro-llimalo (or Koodoo-Kop, as we called it, owing 

 to the stony mountains around being frequented by 

 these superb antelopes), when at 9 p.m. three " askaris," 

 or native soldiers, came into camp ^nth a letter from 

 Mr. Archer at Baringo, saying that an Njemusi hunter 

 had brought in news of a huge old solitary bull-elephant 

 which had taken up his quarters near Njemps, on the 

 further side of the lake. Archer added that, as he was 

 then proceeding on duty to Njemps, he would be glad 

 to accompany me thither, provided I returned to Baringo 

 at once.^ 



This necessitated an entire recasting of plans, but 

 arrangements were soon made, and an hour before 

 daylight on the morrow, under a waning moon, I left 

 my brother to continue his solitary journey northwards 

 to the Mugitani River, while I set out on return for 

 Baringo. Arriving there (four hours' march) in time for 

 breakfast. Archer and I at once started for Njemps, 

 re-crossing first the^mountain-spur, and then the liat 

 plains towards the Molo River. This river, we were 

 told, was only waist-deep, so we proceeded to walk 

 through, sending some natives in advance to shift 



^ See sketch-map at p. 75, infra. 

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