218 
ELEPHANT-BUNTING IN EAST AFRICA 
CHAP. 
heard them close to us several times, for the bush was dense 
and the wind shifty and they kept on the move. 
At length, well on in the afternoon, I gave up and retraced 
our steps towards where I had first encountered the elephants. 
Squareface and Juma maintained that there were two elephants 
down there, but I felt convinced that what they had taken for 
a second was a rhino ; for I could not believe I was mistaken 
about it, having distinctly seen its horn. Nevertheless, I could 
not help entertaining a lingering hope that they might be right. 
On reaching the spot, however, there was neither elephant nor 
rhino to be seen, so that there could no longer be the least 
doubt that I had been correct ; for, though we searched well 
all about, the only elephant we could find was the old cow I 
had first shot at and which we had seen fall. It was curious 
that the rhino should have stood close by while I shot and the 
elephants shouted and stampeded. This instance proves, too, 
that there is not necessarily any antagonism between these 
animals. The dead elephant was a very old cow, with a 
wizened face and unusually skinny throat, and both her tusks 
were very much worn down, though 1 of fair thickness for 
“ kalasha ” ivory. We took out her heart, and found that my 
bullet had gone through the very centre of it. I returned to 
my camp at the rock hole, rather disappointed with the day’s 
hunt; but I entertained a hope that possibly the other wounded 
elephant (both shots were at the same) might yet be found. 
I got back after dark a good deal torn and scratched by 
thorns, and my finger, which had been sore so long from 
repeated wounds inflicted by the trigger-guard of the heavy 
rifle, very painful. On getting to camp I was not a little 
annoyed to find there was no water for my gun-bearers ; as it 
appeared even the second pit had run dry, some of the Ndorobo 
women belonging to Baithai’s party, who had followed me and 
camped close by, having emptied it. Under these circumstances 
I told the Ndorobo who had been with me that day to summon 
Baithai himself to a consultation the first thing in the morning. 
