364 
CHAP. 
ELEPHANT-HUNTING IN EAST AFRICA 
getting something more suitable. Farther on I saw four 
young “ topi ” bulls, grazing in the open. Luckily, though, 
there was some thin bush within shot of them on the leeward 
side; and by making a detour I was able to stalk them 
successfully, and before they had made up their minds definitely 
which was the safe direction to finally run away in, I had three 
of them down within less than fifty yards of each other. The 
fourth I let away as not wanted. 
I had three men with me, so with one working at each 
buck the skins were soon removed and sent back to camp by 
one of them, while I went round by the first of my elephants 
of yesterday in the hopes of getting a shot with my camera, 
which I had brought for the purpose, at vultures and marabouts 
at work on the carcase. However, they had not yet been able 
to effect an entrance through the hide, and so were only 
soaring about and waiting for decay, beasts of prey, or man 
to enable them to begin their feast. Great numbers of them 
had been attracted to the vicinity, though, and the display 
of meat drew many round our camp, as well as flocks of 
crows and several kites. The kites were constantly swooping 
down upon scraps, and the crows caused my men much 
annoyance by their audacity in making raids on the garlands 
of biltong spread about to dry. 
These last afforded me a good deal of amusement by their 
droll ways. Like all crows, there is a comical seriousness 
about their actions most diverting to study. One, bolder 
than the rest, would advance by alternate hops and steps to 
within an inch or two of a piece of meat ; make a feint; look 
about knowingly ; open his wings in false alarm ; drop again 
in front of the alluring morsel, and finally stretch out his neck 
and seize it with a sudden effort of resolution. Then the 
others, who had been watching this adventurous individual 
from close by, would pounce down eagerly, encouraged by his 
success, and a regular scramble would ensue, until a stick 
hurled among them by the indignant owner of the meat 
