296 ELEPHANT-HUNTING IN EAST AFRICA chap. 



herd standing close to the edge of the swamp at about the 

 same place as yesterday. It seemed a herd of bulls, chiefly at 

 any rate ; there were a {&\\ I took for cows, but I incline to 

 think they may have been young bulls, and that they and their 

 tusks seemed so small by contrast with the monsters. The 

 herd may have numbered perhaps twenty or thereabouts ; it 

 did not seem a large one. In order to get up to them I had 

 to skirt the swamp and pass through some mud — the wind 

 being favourable that way, while there was just enough cover 

 to allow a near approach, with caution. The sun had but just 

 risen behind the elephants, its horizontal rays thus shining 

 right in my eyes ; and, to add to the difficulties, no sooner had 

 we got to the edge of the swamp than the mosquitoes attacked 

 us in myriads. It was useless to attempt to combat them : one 

 saw them hanging from one's eyelids ; they got into my ears, 

 down my neck, even into my mouth, and bit me all over, 

 through clothes and everything. But I had to disregard them, 

 as far as possible, and concentrate my attention on my game. 



I crept up behind some low bushes to pretty close quarters 

 to the herd, which stood in a clump. One big fellow, with fine 

 tusks, was nearest me, just the other side of this slight screen. 

 He came forward a little, giving me a good side shot, and, 

 fearing they were about to enter the swamp, I seized the 

 opportunity and gave him a shot in the shoulder. There was 

 but a very slight breeze blowing in my face, and the volumes 

 of smoke, from lO drams of the abominable old black powder, 

 hung in the heavy morning air, so that I could not use my 

 second barrel at once. However, the elephants seemed uncertain 

 at first which way to run, and, opening out a little as they 

 moved about in confusion, allowed me to make out two or 

 three real monsters (though nearly all were large bulls) ; so, 

 picking out two of the others with the biggest tusks (having 

 by this time reloaded my right barrel), I sent a bullet into the 

 ribs of each. The herd then swung round and set off at a 

 run, describing a semicircle so as to get into the swamp behind 



