V 
NDOROBO ELEPHANT-HUNTING 
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new camp. I found another Ndorobo clan (also friends of mine) 
had just come to make their encampment close by, in order to be 
handy for future feasts should I have further successes in hunt¬ 
ing. Not finding my man, I took a couple of young volunteers 
along with me. We struck right through the bush to a point 
at the foot of the hills beyond where I had found the day 
before, in order that we might cut the spoor should the herd 
have trekked. We found no track, however, and walked back 
along the base of the hills towards the valley above mentioned. 
On getting near it, we came upon plenty of quite fresh spoor where 
the elephants had been feeding that morning. Having brought 
it up to the little swampy spring where they had drunk, I sat 
down to have a bit of a spell, as it was by this time noon, and 
eat a snack by way of lunch. I never carry anything that 
could be called a meal, but something just to spoil one’s 
appetite ; something sweet I find the best for the purpose, such 
as a few raisins or a bit of chocolate with a few fragments of 
biscuit, washed down with a drink of water. 
Meanwhile I sent out my natives to find out which way 
the elephants had gone from there. I knew by this time they 
would be taking their mid-day siesta and must be standing 
somewhere in the bush not far off; and, sure enough, by the 
time I had finished my little repast, my scouts came running 
back to say they heard the elephants in the scrub quite 
near. I cautiously made off in the direction, the wind being 
right and, fortunately, steadier to-day, though gusty with lulls. 
My Ndorobo climbed a tree and saw a little bunch, and, having 
pointed out to me where they were, stayed behind and I crept 
on alone. With cat-like steps I advanced, caught a glimpse 
of one through the bush, and approached without making 
a sound or being seen to within ten yards of the nearest 
one, a large cow, of which I then suddenly, for the first 
time, came in full view, facing me. She also saw me, 
but apparently could not make out what I was, though 
she looked attentively and suspiciously at me. I always 
