278 The Hunting Grounds 



Our search proved successful, for the troop was 

 evidently much larger than I had at first imagined ; 

 and we found the spoor of a very large elephant, 

 which, from the size, I concluded must be a bull 

 with weighty ivories. From the trail, which I fol- 

 lowed up for some distance, I perceived that the 

 panic, occasioned by my shots, had not been general 

 among the herd, for some of them could hardly have 

 been alarmed, as they had broken off branches and 

 browsed on the young wood, within half-a-mile from 

 the spot where I had killed one of their number. 

 I therefore made up my mind to pursue, and 

 returned to the gang, to hasten them in their woi;k 

 so as to be sooner on their heels. The tusks, which 

 weighed about 70 Ibs., were cut out, and, with the 

 snake, given in charge of Mootoo, Verapah, and 

 three of the Carder ribe, for conveyance to the hut, 

 to which I intended to return on the close of the 

 present expedition. 



After a couple of hours' tracking, we came to a 

 purling mountain-stream, meandering through dense 

 forest-jungle, where we filled our " mushucks " (large 

 leathern bottles), in case of not meeting with water 

 further on, and continued our course, the spoor 

 leading along the bank. 



As we advanced the woods became more and more 

 open, here and there alternating with beautiful green 

 glades, which much reminded me of the park scenery 



