158 ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



The natives were now fighting with an immense old 

 bull: hearing them,- 1 rode in their direction, and came 

 "jpon Carey stationary in the forest. Here the dogs 

 took up the scent of an elephant, and I followed them, 

 but they eventually dropped it. I then tried to retrace 

 my steps to the dead elephant, which I did by chance, 

 having lost my way in the level boundless jungle and 

 wandered far. I found a few natives, who reported 

 their captain and most of his men to be still engaged 

 with the elephant, and they said that Carey had joined 

 them in the chase. I off-saddled for a little, but, hear- 

 ing the cries of the natives in the distance, I saddled 

 old Schwartland, and rode onward till I found the na- 

 tives and Carey quite done up, and on the point of 

 dropping the game. The elephant, although red with 

 blood, and resembling a porcupine by the number of 

 the assagais, was little the worse for all that he had re- 

 ceived. I then attacked him, and, with eight or ten 

 shots, ended his career. 



Next morning, Bakalahari coming up and reporting 

 to have heard elephants during the night, old Seleka 

 and I went in quest of them. We were joined by the 

 gallant and vaunting John Stofolus, who had slept at 

 the wagons, and swore that he had lost his way in a 

 long chase after an elephant. Both he and Carey ex- 

 pressing regret for their previous mismanagement, and 

 vowing to prove themselves men this day, I allowed 

 them to accompany me. We soon took up the spoor 

 of one old bull, which led us into a forest thoroughly 

 plowed up and broken with bull elephants. Here this 

 fine fellow joined a glorious squadron of from twenty to 

 thirty mighty bulls. When we discovered their position 

 I dashed forward, shouting to the dogs, and was instant- 

 ly iu the middle of them. Then followed a wondroua 



