cnAi>. viji EXCURSIONS FROM EL BOGOI 179 



track, and it was as much as one could do to push aside its 

 stiff stems and rasping blades, while sometimes it was a case 

 of creeping through low tunnels. I was pleasantly surprised 

 to find that the surface of the ground was mostly dry and 

 sandy, the water nourishing the rank growth being evidently 

 below, though in places were shallow pools and wet mud, 

 churned up and pitted with elephant tracks. On climbing 

 cautiously a little way up the hillside, so as to get a view 

 over the flat, we found that the elephant had moved from 

 where we had first seen it ; but we soon spotted it again, a 

 little farther on, standing under a tree. Then, while we 

 watched, it moved into a clump of thorn-trees a little lower 

 down, where the grass was not so thick, and we could now 

 see that there were several. They were, however, on the 

 other side of the river ; that is, the side we had come from, 

 for it made a sweep, from where we had crossed it, over to 

 the foot of the hills on the eastern side of the valley, and the 

 elephants were in the bend. It was therefore necessary for 

 us to recross. 



We accordingly forded the shallow stream again, and 

 forced our way cautiously through the giant grass towards 

 where we had last seen them. The direction of the wind 

 being up the valley, we still had it in our faces. Getting to 

 where the growth was less uniformly luxuriant, we came in 

 sight of two or three, through openings in the grass, some 

 thirty yards ahead ; but, before I could get a shot, a treacherous 

 eddy of air gave them a whiff of our scent, and they started 

 off. Luckily they ran diagonally across our position, and, the 

 ground being sufficiently open to give me a chance, I was able 

 to give one a shot fairly behind the shoulder, with the 10- 

 bore, as she passed. Following, I heard the grumblings and 

 rumblings a dying elephant makes, and, approaching cautiously 

 (as is necessary in such dangerous ground), though at first I 

 could not make her out, after peering about a little I found 

 her lying dead among some bushes. Then, forgetting my 



