EXCURSIONS FROM EL BOGOI 



again, and at the same time find out their exact whereabouts. 

 Having made our way to the edge of the jungle, we went 

 along, outside, back to where the caravan was left ; and the 

 men told us that the elephants had passed quite near them, 

 and were just ahead. Feruzi, my cook, was in a great state 

 of excitement, and amused me much by the ardent interest 

 he took in the chase. I got round to leeward of them 

 again ; then went in, and, making the most, as before, of the 

 opportunities when the wind blew strongly, got up to them 

 and dropped one more in the same way, giving another a 

 shot in the ribs as they started off We now crossed over 

 to the opposite hill again, whence we could get a better view 

 over the whole of the valley bottom, and saw some moving 

 about in the brake. Once three came near enough, below 

 our perch on the steep hillside, to give me a chance for a 

 shot with the Lee-Metford ; but while I waited to get the 

 glasses, in order to make out which had the best tusks, they 

 moved away again. Climbing down and following up once 

 more, we got near, but could not see anything for the jungle, 

 which was particularly impracticable at that part, while the 

 wind had died away ; and to creep through a low tunnel in 

 the tangled reedy growth to right under an elephant's nose, 

 when it, being on the look-out, is bound to hear you coming, 

 is not pleasant nor likely to be always healthy. So I 

 hesitated, and they went off again before I could get a shot. 

 In looking for them afterwards, in the direction we had been 

 in before, we came upon another dead elephant, which I had 

 not seen fall, evidently the one I had fired at last. 



It was now near sundown, so I returned to the caravan and 

 determined to pitch camp. On going back over the rise, for 

 that purpose, whence we had first seen the elephant in the 

 morning, we could make out two or three still visible ; but 

 these were on the far side of the swamp, and in a very dense 

 part, so I let them alone. I thought they were cows with 

 calves, which was a good reason for not attacking them ; but 



