220 ELEPHANT-HUNTING IN EAST AFRICA chai'. 



the mountains as far as another spring where I had shot some 

 elephants the prev^ious trip, and that there was not a spoor to 

 be seen anywhere in that direction. It was pretty late before 

 I had done my gun-cleaning, bathed, and dined. My dinner 

 consisted of broiled kabobs of fat elephant heart and Grant's 

 gazelle fillet spitted alternately on a stick — a really delicious 

 dish. 



I did not intend to do anything but move camp on the 

 following day and we had not far to go, so for once in a way 

 I slept till broad daylight and then had breakfast quietly and 

 comfortably before starting. Baithai accompanied me and we 

 were followed by his belongings — women, children and all, their 

 household gods (not very extensive) on the women's backs. 

 These Xdorobos are pleasant people when you have won their 

 confidence. They looked on me as a benefactor, and always 

 greeted me with friendly smiles. Shaking hands with them 

 (a custom of their own) is rather a trial sometimes, when they 

 have been busy about the carcase of an elephant that has been 

 dead several days (elephant meat does not keep well), or 

 handling some hoarded bones with a powerful aroma, it is 

 true ; but I like such cordial manifestations of confidence in 

 one. 



I found the rock pit a good-sized one and full of curious- 

 looking water, very green and opaque, but not bad tasted. No 

 doubt its colour was caused by some kind of minute growth in 

 it ; though why this particular pool should differ in this way 

 from other similar ones puzzled me. It was on a rocky little 

 spur of an outlying hill near the foot of the main range, and I 

 found a picturesque spot to camp in, half-way up the side, 

 where there was just enough fairly level ground to pitch my 

 tent under a convenient tree. Being pretty high here, my 

 camp commanded a magnificent view over the country north- 

 ward's right up to Alount Nyiro (near the south end of Lake 

 Rudolph), which loomed up big and dark in the distance. I 

 spent a rather pleasant, lazy day after the short march, making 



