NDOROBO ELEPHANT-HUNTING 



new camp. I found another Ndorobo clan (also friends of mine) 

 had just come to make their encampment close by, in order to be 

 handy for future feasts should I have further successes in hunt- 

 ing. Not finding my man, I took a couple of young volunteers 

 along with me. We struck right through the bush to a point 

 at the foot of the hills beyond where I had found the day 

 before, in order that we might cut the spoor should the herd 

 have trekked. We found no track, however, and walked back 

 along the base of the hills towards the valley above mentioned. 

 On getting near it, we came upon plenty of quite fresh spoor where 

 the elephants had been feeding that morning. Having brought 

 it up to the little swampy spring where they had drunk, I sat 

 down to have a bit of a spell, as it was by this time noon, and 

 eat a snack by way of lunch, I never carry anything that 

 could be called a meal, but something just to spoil one's 

 appetite ; something sweet I find the best for the purpose, such 

 as a few raisins or a bit of chocolate with a few fragments of 

 biscuit, washed down with a drink of water. 



Meanwhile I sent out my natives to find out which way 

 the elephants had gone from there. I knew by this time they 

 would be taking their mid-day siesta and must be standing 

 somewhere in the bush not far off; and, sure enough, by the 

 time I had finished my little repast, my scouts came running 

 back to say they heard the elephants in the scrub quite 

 near. I cautiously made off in the direction, the wind being 

 right and, fortunately, steadier to-day, though gusty with lulls. 

 My Ndorobo climbed a tree and saw a little bunch, and, having 

 pointed out to me where they were, stayed behind and I crept 

 on alone. With cat-like steps I advanced, caught a glimpse 

 of one through the bush, and approached without making 

 a sound or being seen to within ten yards of the nearest 

 one, a large cow, of which I then suddenly, for the first 

 time, came in full view, facing me. She also saw me, 

 but apparently could not make out what I was, though 

 she looked attentively and suspiciously at me. I always 



