A FINE ROAX ANTELOPE 265 



a time, the buffalo had struck across the river, going 

 due south. We followed till late in the afternoon, but 

 as the beasts were evidently bound for fresh feeding- 

 grounds, I had reluctantly to give them up. We saw 

 several skulls lying by the river, belonging, the natives 

 said, to beasts which had died of the rinderpest a few 

 years before. 



Ne.\t day 1 made a later start, for I think we were 

 all a bit tired. From a little hill-top I soon saw some 

 tora, and then a fine herd of roan, round which we 

 started to circle, but they moved on to very open ground, 

 and approaching them was slow work. While lying by 

 a tree watching them, a fine bull came from behind us 

 and followed the herd. We ran towards him whenever 

 a tree or moimd hid him, but I had eventually to fire 

 at very long range, hitting a foreleg. We started alter 

 him, but unfortunately jumped him in thick bush without 

 being able to get a shot. While slowly following the 

 track over hard ground among some big trees, one of 

 the escort, who joined in, suddenly pulled my coat, 

 and, looking up, I saw standing not 20 paces from us 

 an elephant. His head was slightly turned away from 

 us, a large tree being between me and him. The 

 native offered me his rest to fire from, and as 1 declined 

 it, he put up his own wea[jon, a Gras, but Ali stopped 

 him. The slight noise had attracted the beast's attention, 

 and as he slowly turned his head towards us I saw that 

 the tusks were but poor. I signed to the native to 

 fire, which he did through the branches of the tree, 

 aiming for no special part of the animal. As he tn-ed 

 he turned to bolt, but not wishing to have the elephant 



