182 
ELEPHANT-HUNTING IN EAST AFRICA 
CHAP. 
I am afraid I was really inclined to shirk it, thinking it not 
advisable to tempt fate too far. Squareface wanted me to go 
after them, but I decided to be content with the day’s work, 
though I fear Feruzi was a bit disappointed with me. But, 
for my part, I felt very pleased with this return of luck, after 
our want of success at El Bogoi, and hoped this would prove 
the commencement of good fortune for the trip, I also felt 
satisfied with my shooting ; I had five elephants down, and 
only one had gone away wounded ; and I had wasted very few 
cartridges, though I used one or two more, perhaps, than 
absolutely necessary in finishing off, or rather making sure of, 
elephants that had dropped ; but that is the safer plan. 
As already stated, my rifles were now a Lee-Metford and a 
io-bore Holland. Both had done their work well enough to¬ 
day ; but I had not yet acquired thorough confidence in the 
former, and the discharge of the other was something of a 
shock, which, though its rubber heelplate prevented from 
hurting the shoulder, made one’s head ache, and knocked one’s 
fingers about cruelly. The volumes of smoke emitted, too, 
were appalling, and a source of danger ; but its worst defect 
was that the breech invariably jammed, and the empty cases 
stuck, so that they had to be knocked out with a stick. 
Altogether, I found my prejudices against big guns in no way 
removed, and regretted more than ever the accident to my 
trusty and equally effective .577. 
I found a passably good place to camp, just at the edge of 
the swamp (I call it so, for want of a better name, though it 
was not really wet), at a point where the river was close to the 
western side, and just at the foot of the stony, dry hills. Not 
an ideal spot, but neither was it a bad one, a thorn-tree or two 
giving fair shade. It is a most important consideration to get 
suitable camping-ground, close to the water, where one can 
rest in comfort. I sent at once for some tit-bits and fat from 
one of the elephants, so as to get it fresh, while I pitched the 
tent and set things in order myself. I was glad when all was 
