XI FROM EL BOGOI TO LAKE RUDOLPH 237 



driven the herd away. Still, the meat was acceptable and I 

 did not upbraid him. It transpired long afterwards, though, 

 that he had used a number of cartridges. My fears about the 

 elephants leaving the neighbourhood were also verified, as will 

 presently appear. He knew that I never allowed him to use 

 his rifle, which he carried merely as a weapon of defence ; but 

 I expect he was tempted to try his hand by coming upon the 

 elephants in open forest, where it would be easy to get near 

 and obtain a clear shot from the safe cover of the trees. Juma 

 brought no news of any use. He was out till sundown and 

 saw the spoor of three travellers only, going south. 



The day had been cloudy and showery and the night was 

 cold and wet, and it still rained in the morning when I started 

 out again myself with Juma and one Ndorobo, Squareface with 

 one or two more of my men going to fetch the teeth of his 

 elephant and some meat, while Baithai was off to summon his 

 family to the feast. We took a long round, crossing the deep 

 valley of the main stream draining this part of the range (from 

 the crest on the opposite side of which I got a fine view over 

 the open country beyond for a long distance), and then descend- 

 ing to where the valleys join the level country and begin to 

 open out into green, grassy savannahs. I determined to come 

 and camp in this pleasant borderland between the forest and 

 the open plains ; and 1 hoped still to find elephants somewhere, 

 though it was clear the herd Squareface had disturbed had 

 shifted its quarters, since the only fresh tracks we could find 

 were those made in its retreat. Still there was plenty of 

 recent spoor everywhere, and anyway it would be interesting to 

 see something of the country on this side of the range and find 

 out what game it contained. 



So the next day we moved down, camping in a little glade 

 close to the edge of the open country, on the banks of a strong 

 stream. The descent on this side of the mountains, though 

 sufficiently difficult with loads, is nothing like so steep as their 

 eastern face, and the plains here must be much higher than the 



