192 SERVICE AND SPORT IN THE SUDAN 



of large chimpanzees (?) and other apes. The country, 

 however, between the Pongo and the Wau or Busseiri 

 Rivers was alive with elephant. I was, as well may 

 be imagined, much disappointed at not retrieving my 

 former elephants, so when, close to the Pongo, I came 

 on a herd, I threw to the winds the warning of those 

 who said, " Never interfere with a herd in which there 

 are young." The herd I selected was grazing, the bull 

 in rear. From a few yards I gave him the shoulder 

 shot. He ran a hundred yards, and the herd stopped 

 and looked at him. I had to make a long stalk to get 

 near him again. He was swinging his near foreleg when 

 I did so. I fired, but retired as the herd gathered 

 round him and moved off with him to where I had 

 had my first shot. I followed, and my next shot, 

 from a distance of about fifty yards — I could get no 

 nearer — brought the herd forward at a run towards 

 the sound. My quarry scarcely moved. I returned 

 to my old stand. In the meantime I had noticed that 

 some men of the party had turned up, and those who 

 had not already done so took off their boots. I fired 

 again. The herd gave one united scream and charged 

 with uplifted trunks. I ran as I never ran before and 

 hope never to have to run again. Everything on me 

 — watch, compass, knife, &c. — seemed to rattle like 

 sleigh-bells. I forgot to say that my rifle, a .303, 

 had jammed each time I fired, the breech being 

 badly pitted. The last time I had fired I had had 

 to stamp the breech open, so I could not reload. 

 I had just determined to throw it away, when a khor, 

 12 feet deep and 4 yards wide, crossed my path. 



