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EXCURSIONS FROM EL BOGOI 
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things snug, writing up my diary and pottering about Baithai 
and Co. had made their camp near by, but most of them were 
away all day cutting up yesterday’s elephant, which was not 
far from here, and some slept by the carcase. 
The next morning, feeling thoroughly refreshed and fit 
after my easy day, I was off before sunrise with Baithai and 
my usual gun-bearers. We went along the very edge of the 
valleys lying under the mountains, keeping close under the 
latter, where there were, at this part, frequent little open glades 
which enabled us to get along more freely and comfortably 
than when threading the thorny mazes of the jungle which 
stretched away on our right. While it was still early we passed 
over a rather steep and stony shoulder (the foot, in fact, of a 
buttress of the mountain) and into the valley which contained 
the stream, issuing from a kloof or gorge in the mountains, for 
which we were making, and where Baithai hoped to find signs 
of elephants. 
While descending by a very rough game-track overlooking 
this valley, which the rising sun was just lighting up, I noticed 
that a large white thorn-tree, growing near the edge of some 
thick bush, beside a grassy glade which it overlooked, was laden 
with vultures. Going, as is my invariable custom under such 
circumstances, to see what might be the cause of this gathering, 
with thoughts of my wounded elephant of two days before in 
my mind, we disturbed about half-a-dozen maneless lions or 
lionesses from the carcase of a large bull giraffe they had 
apparently killed the day before but were still eating. When 
after elephants I do not carry a rifle myself except when 
getting close to them ; and to-day I had, with unpardonable 
carelessness, not yet loaded any, as we had not seen any fresh 
spoor and I had no idea of going after any other game. The 
consequence was that I lost this chance, or I might anyway 
have got one of the lions, which stood before clearing out. I 
did not care particularly though, as I hoped to find elephants, 
and should not have liked to spend the time needed to skin a 
