VIII 



TRAVELS IN EASTERN AFRICA 



367 



When the elephants passed by, I went on, and 

 found plenty of blood, but no elephant. We searched 

 about in the bush, and finding no further signs I de- 

 cided to go farther and try again. My guides returned 

 in a moment, and were much disappointed at learning 

 that there was no meat for them ; but upon my assur- 

 ance of more success another time, we again set out 

 — always, of course, up-wind. After a lapse of about 

 twenty minutes, we reached a place where the bush 

 was more open ; and there I suddenly came upon a. 

 herd of six elephants, standing in a line and placidly 

 feeding. I wished to kill the largest of the six, and, 

 in order to get a good shot at him, it was necessary 

 for me to make a slight change in my position. As 

 I was doing so, the entire herd became conscious of 

 my proximity, and charged down-wind, but fortunately 

 in single file. I had time to leap to one side, and 

 fire, but at such close range that the barrel of my 

 rifle touched the hide of the animal I shot at. There 

 was no apparent result ; so, being tired out with the 

 work of the day, I returned to the first elephant we 

 had killed, and, taking the tusks, returned to camp, 

 which I reached after dark. The next morning after 

 dawn all the men of the Wanderobbo village who were 

 able to walk, together with seventeen donkeys, passed 

 our camp on their way to get the meat. The don- 

 keys carried curious saddles. They consisted of a net 

 like a snowshoe, made of strips of skin stretched on 

 an oval frame, one for each side. These were held 

 in place by straps, and between them was piled the 

 meat. 



I followed them to the elephant, which by this time 



