V NDOROBO ELEPHANT-HUNTING 103 



head again, and then, as she still thumped her head about, 

 screaming loudly, I shot her in the chest, the bullet penetrating 

 her heart and finishing her. Following the others, which 

 seemed to have lost their leader and ran about backwards and 

 forwards, standing at short intervals, I sighted them two or 

 three times, but could not get a shot. They were all small 

 females with thin tusks, but I did not then know there were 

 any more near, so was bound to try and score all I could. 

 Shortly after, I got sight of two of them standing, and, the 

 breeze being just then favourable, I got up, waited till one 

 turned her head right, and dropped her. Going on again, 

 Juma (one of my men) spotted another from a tree I had sent 

 him up. I got close up and found there were three or four 

 standing together, larger than the others, and which had 

 evidently not been disturbed. Opposite me again was a cow, 

 similar to the first I had shot, with a calf by her. The calf 

 saw me, but I heeded it not nor its mother, having caught 

 sight of a much larger tusk than she possessed behind a thick 

 clump of scrub to the right, only a few yards from where I 

 stood. Determined to try for this fellow at all hazards, I 

 moved round this clump of wattles. As I came in view he 

 swung round preparatory to decamping. But I was too quick 

 for him, and as his head went round from me I plugged him 

 right in the ear, dropping him dead on the spot. He was a 

 small bull, very short in stature, but with nice teeth. 



I now went back to the small elephant to get some water, 

 and foolishly stayed some time while more was fetched for the 

 men. This delay, I think, certainly cost me at least another 

 elephant. When I did follow up again, leaving Juma to get 

 out the fat, etc., on coming over a rise we saw the whole herd 

 (perhaps thirty strong, but apparently all cows) going up the 

 other side of a little valley in front of us, some 300 or 400 

 yards ahead. I doubled after them — an open glade here 

 allowing it, — but, on topping the next rise, they were already 

 disappearing over another, getting away from us at a run. 



