VII 
SECOND EXPEDITION 
149 
found where elephants had drunk in the night, and, following 
the spoor, which did not take us very far from the river this 
time, came at length where it scattered and wound about with 
signs of feeding. This was encouraging, though the spoor was 
more difficult to follow now that the herd had spread out, the 
ground being dry and hard. We, however, stuck to that of one 
or two bulls, which seemed now to be alone—indeed I fancy 
had not really been with those we had followed from the river 
at all. It puzzled us a good deal, as they had sauntered along, 
making little impression on the baked soil ; but while rather 
at fault, we heard branches breaking ahead, giving us timely 
warning of the whereabouts of one at any rate. It was a still, 
cloudy day, with hardly any wind stirring ; but what there was 
seemed for the moment right. I advanced, stupidly allowing 
Squareface to follow—instead of proceeding alone, as was my 
usual custom on getting so close under similar ticklish conditions 
—and went in too hurriedly. The noise we made on the dry 
leaves in the still air alarmed the elephant (a single bull), just 
as I got the first glimpse of his head towering up among the 
bushes which concealed the rest of his huge form, and he made 
off at a run, screened by thick cover from me, giving me no 
chance for a shot. He ran close past my other gun-bearer, who 
had stopped a little behind, and he got a good view of him and 
told me he was a monster. Of course. This was terribly 
disappointing, and, though we tried afterwards to follow the 
others, the one that we had scared joined them and made them 
travel ; and, though we got warm dung several times, we had 
to give it up in the end, and got back late in the afternoon, 
tired and defeated, to find my dear little companion gone to 
where all the elephants and other game one shoots go, I suppose, 
and where I might follow her any day. How sad and lonely 
I felt I cannot attempt to express. I had had sorrowful losses 
before of favourites, both dogs and horses, but this was even 
sadder and more trying. She had been the companion of my 
travels for the last eighteen months : never apart were we, day 
