CHAP. Ill 
BIG GAME SHOOTING , 1887 
61 
down wind and sixty yards from the nearest group. We 
were standing on a spur of the Darnel Plain, covered with 
loose gravel and sprinkled with a few small bushes. After a 
rapid examination of the ground I opened fire at the biggest 
elephant, when, with indescribable commotion and clouds of dust, 
the three groups dissolved into a long string, rushing past us 
headlong through the forest, only intent on escape. 
The big cow at which I had fired was hidden in dust for a 
moment, and then spinning round in a semicircle, she made off 
after the others, her stern quite closing up the path. Follow- 
ing on in her wake we came up with some of the herd which 
were lagging, and I fired at one which appeared to be a young 
bull, bringing it down stone dead on its side, the bullet having 
caught it behind the shoulders while going by at full speed. 
Unfortunately, on inspection it proved to be a cow. Then, 
continuing in the direction taken by the herd, we at length saw 
the cow first hit standing within forty yards of a large tree ; 
and stalking up to the tree, which was to leeward of her, I 
fired at her temple. She went down and rolled over on her 
side, the men, delighted at my success, running up to jump on 
her back. Suddenly I shouted, “ Look out, she’s getting up ! ” 
and I had scarcely time to cover her temple with the foresight 
from where I stood, twenty yards away, before she was on her 
legs again, with ears stuck out at right angles. Another shot 
from the four-bore, and she fell dead. 
The severe kick of the rifle generally sent me back a couple 
of yards, and I must have been standing wrong, for as I fired 
something gave way in my right leg, and I came down in a 
sitting posture on to a clump of aloes, unable to rise at once, 
and wondering whether the elephant was dead or not. I was 
laid up in camp for three days, but on the fourth I could limp 
about very creditably, and killed a fine wart-hog boar near 
camp, besides firing at five striped hyaenas prowling about at 
dusk among the rocks. When we had cut out the tusks of the 
two cows we resolved to try fresh ground, and getting astride 
my mule I marched with my caravan to Hembeweina, sixteen 
miles lower down the river. Here we found in the sand the 
tracks of six lions of different ages, which had been prowling 
about in the river-bed and in the bordering reeds. Close to 
camp we found the half-eaten carcase of a spotted hyaena which 
they had caught. They must have been badly off for food to 
have eaten a hyaena ; indeed, from the absence of fresh tracks, 
