SAVAGE SUDAN 



bearing straight on the buffalo, and on Abdul looking 

 through it he exclaimed at once "Gamoos!" But with 

 naked eye, neither he nor the rest could distinguish 

 anything at all. 



Next morning (February 7th), after three hours' work 

 ashore, we were under weigh when, at nine o'clock, the cry 

 of "Fill" again aroused me. This time there was no 

 mistake. Less than half a mile away, a herd of elephants 



THE ILLUSION. 



sixty or seventy, strung out in line were grazing 

 towards us. The great pachyderms were feeding among 

 cane -grass 6 or 8 feet high, and, in colour, precisely 

 identical with the ant-hills of yesterday. We closed with 

 the bank and watched. The main herd were cows, 

 though among them, three, towering over their consorts, 

 were probably young bulls. But half a mile to westward 

 I spied four more, all good bulls ; while between the two 

 groups, half hidden by higher bush, stood a grand old 

 Solitaire. Only once, and that for but a second, did he 

 vouchsafe a glimpse of long curving ivory. 



