256 The Hunting Grounds 



wide ravine, and crossed a stony watercourse, where 

 the spoor was certainly not an hour old, at about 

 three o'clock in the afternoon, we began to ascend a 

 long ridge of low rocky hills; a difficult route, one 

 would think, for such unwieldy-looking animals, but 

 the spoor was plain, so on we went ; and after an 

 hour's clambering up a steep and rather difficult 

 ledge of rocks, we arrived at the summit, where I had 

 the indescribable pleasure of beholding the broad backs 

 of the objects of our search, who were quietly browsing, 

 unconscious of danger, under the shade of some tall 

 forest trees. I sent Moottoo, the Gooroo, and the 

 Mulchers to a high peak, by a circuitous route, from 

 whence they would be enabled to watch the move- 

 ments of the herd, should they take alarm. After 

 resting for a few moments to reconnoitre the ground 

 and take breath, and having tried the wind, which 

 was favourable, a light air blowing from them to us, 

 I carefully examined my guns, ascertained that the 

 powder was well up in the nipples, and then stole 

 gently forward, taking advantage of any cover or 

 undulation I could find, until I got behind a thick 

 tree, with a patch of low bush at the foot, from 

 whence I could distinctly see the herd about sixty 

 yards distant. The tusker was standing on three 

 legs, swinging his huge carcass too and fro, and 

 fanning himself with the branch of a tree, which he 

 held in his trunk, and near him two females were 



