VIII EXCURSIONS FROM EL BOGOI 173 



starting early as usual, and met Lesiat, by appointment, at 

 the foot of a koppie where we had parted yesterday. We had 

 crossed the spoor of a single elephant not far from camp, but 

 not fresh ; and farther on had seen what we took to be the 

 fresh spoor of two or three others, in the dewy grass. We 

 went back to inspect the latter, but only to find that it was 

 rhino spoor. We then went on again, striking straight through 

 the dense bush which stretches for miles and miles along the 

 foot of the mountains, and covers all the flat country towards 

 the Seya. After a time we struck the last night's spoor of a 

 few travelling elephants. W^e followed it a long way, but, as 

 they showed no signs of feeding, I at last turned campwards 

 — for I was feeling very unwell and hardly able to drag one 

 leg after another, — telling Lesiat to send me news the next 

 day. 



This sort of thing went on for two or three days more. I 

 hunted assiduously, but the only spoor we could find was that 

 of travelling stragglers, the following of which resulted in 

 nothing but profitless fatigue, for they never fed nor halted. 

 So I became convinced that there was no herd near now ; the 

 elephants had evidently been thoroughly scared and had left 

 the neighbourhood, and it seemed folly to go on toiling about, 

 tearing ourselves to pieces every day and all for nothing. For 

 I had never even been near an elephant yet. As the promised 

 news from Barasaloi had never come, I sent Squareface and 

 Smiler to another Ndorobo camp I knew of, at the foot of the 

 Murkeben hill, which is in the same direction, to make 

 inquiries there ; for I was determined to move somewhere, 

 since I was merely wasting my time where I was. They reported 

 that they had found only an old man in the kraal, all the rest 

 of the community being away in the bush, where they had just 

 killed two giraffe. My men heard, though, that there were two 

 young fellows there who had been sent by Baithai to get me 

 news, and who were coming on to my camp the following day. 

 I hardly believed that they would be able to tear themselves 



