2i8 ELEPHANT-HUNTING IN EAST AFRICA chap. 



heard them close to us several times, for the bush was dense 

 and the wind shifty and they kept on the move. 



At length, well on in the afternoon, I gave up and retraced 

 our steps towards where I had first encountered the elephants. 

 Squareface and Juma maintained that there were two elephants 

 down there, but I felt convinced that what they had taken for 

 a second was a rhino ; for I could not believe I was mistaken 

 about it, having distinctly seen its horn. Nevertheless, I could 

 not help entertaining a lingering hope that they might be right. 

 On reaching the spot, however, there was neither elephant nor 

 rhino to be seen, so that there could no longer be the least 

 doubt that I had been correct ; for, though we searched well 

 all about, the only elephant we could find was the old cow I 

 had first shot at and which we had seen fall. It was curious 

 that the rhino should have stood close by while I shot and the 

 elephants shouted and stampeded. This instance proves, too, 

 that there is not necessarily any antagonism between these 

 animals. The dead elephant was a very old cow, with a 

 wizened face and unusually skinny throat, and both her tusks 

 were very much worn down, though ' of fair thickness for 

 " kalasha " ivory. We took out her heart, and found that my 

 bullet had gone through the very centre of it. I returned to 

 my camp at the rock hole, rather disappointed with the day's 

 hunt ; but I entertained a hope that possibly the other wounded 

 elephant (both shots were at the same) might yet be found. 



I got back after dark a good deal torn and scratched by 

 thorns, and my finger, which had been sore so long from 

 repeated wounds inflicted by the trigger-guard of the heavy 

 rifle, very painful. On getting to camp I was not a little 

 annoyed to find there was no water for my gun-bearers ; as it 

 appeared even the second pit had run dry, some of the Ndorobo 

 women belonging to Baithai's party, who had followed me and 

 camped close by, having emptied it. Under these circumstances 

 I told the Ndorobo who had been with me that day to summon 

 Baithai himself to a consultation the first thing in the morning. 



