V 
NDOROBO ELEPHANT-HUNTING 
103 
head again, and then, as she still thumped her head about, 
screaming loudly, I shot her in the chest, the bullet penetrating 
her heart and finishing her. Following the others, which 
seemed to have lost their leader and ran about backwards and 
forwards, standing at short intervals, I sighted them two or 
three times, but could not get a shot. They were all small 
females with thin tusks, but I did not then know there were 
any more near, so was bound to try and score all I could. 
Shortly after, I got sight of two of them standing, and, the 
breeze being just then favourable, I got up, waited till one 
turned her head right, and dropped her. Going on again, 
Juma (one of my men) spotted another from a tree I had sent 
him up. I got close up and found there were three or four 
standing together, larger than the others, and which had 
evidently not been disturbed. Opposite me again was a cow, 
similar to the first I had shot, with a calf by her. The calf 
saw me, but I heeded it not nor its mother, having caught 
sight of a much larger tusk than she possessed behind a thick 
clump of scrub to the right, only a few yards from where I 
stood. Determined to try for this fellow at all hazards, I 
moved round this clump of wattles. As I came in view he 
swung round preparatory to decamping. But I was too quick 
for him, and as his head went round from me I plugged him 
right in the ear, dropping him dead on the spot. He was a 
small bull, very short in stature, but with nice teeth. 
I now went back to the small elephant to get some water, 
and foolishly stayed some time while more was fetched for the 
men. This delay, I think, certainly cost me at least another 
elephant. When I did follow up again, leaving Juma to get 
out the fat, etc., on coming over a rise we saw the whole herd 
(perhaps thirty strong, but apparently all cows) going up the 
other side of a little valley in front of us, some 300 or 400 
yards ahead. I doubled after them—an open glade here 
allowing it,—but, on topping the next rise, they were already 
disappearing over another, getting away from us at a run. 
