EXCURSIONS FROM EL BOGOI 



things snug, writing up my diary and pottering about. Baithai 

 and Co. had made their camp near by, but most of them were 

 away all day cutting up yesterday's elephant, which was not 

 far from here, and some slept by the carcase. 



The next morning, feeling thoroughly refreshed and fit 

 after my easy day, I was off before sunrise with Baithai and 

 my usual gun-bearers. We went along the very edge of the 

 valleys lying under the mountains, keeping close under the 

 latter, where there were, at this part, frequent little open glades 

 which enabled us to get along more freely and comfortably 

 than when threading the thorny mazes of the jungle which 

 stretched away on our right. While it was still early we passed 

 over a rather steep and stony shoulder (the foot, in fact, of a 

 buttress of the mountain) and into the valley which contained 

 the stream, issuing from a kloof or gorge in the mountains, for 

 which we were making, and where Baithai hoped to find signs 

 of elephants. 



While descending by a very rough game-track overlooking 

 this valley, which the rising sun was just lighting up, I noticed 

 that a large white thorn-tree, growing near the edge of some 

 thick bush, beside a grassy glade which it overlooked, was laden 

 with vultures. Going, as is my invariable custom under such 

 circumstances, to see what might be the cause of this gathering, 

 with thoughts of my wounded elephant of two da}-s before in 

 my mind, we disturbed about half-a-dozen maneless lions or 

 lionesses from the carcase of a large bull giraffe they had 

 apparently killed the day before but were still eating. When 

 after elephants I do not carry a rifle myself except when 

 getting close to them ; and to-day I had, with unpardonable 

 carelessness, not yet loaded any, as we had not seen any fresh 

 spoor and I had no idea of going after any other game. The 

 consequence was that I lost this chance, or I might anyway 

 have got one of the lions, which stood before clearing out. I 

 did not care particularly though, as I hoped to find elephants, 

 and should not have liked to spend the time needed to skin a 



