ELEPHANTS 
155 
Thankfully we ordered lunch to be ready in half-an- 
hour, each meanwhile retiring to his tent for a warm 
bath and change. But during that half-hour the crisis 
arrived. Within ten minutes, an excited black head 
had pushed itself through the flap of my tent, 
exclaiming those magic words—“Tembo! tembo ! ! ” 
(elephants). 
Then from our tent-doors we saw a memorable 
spectacle—across that hill-girt plain beyond, hard by 
the gleaming marsh, and not 800 yards away, marched 
a column of forty elephants. 
Hastily we pulled on again the soaking raiment, and 
within a few minutes were away. The elephants slowly 
filed across the mouth of our valley; then, wheeling 
towards us, advanced straight up its centre. Within ten 
minutes we were only separated from them by the width 
of a marsh, 200 yards across, which, overgrown with 
rank green flags, ran down the centre of the strath. 
Both my men proved so excitable that I pulled them 
down and placed Ali Yama in sole charge. He was cool¬ 
ness itself, and made a masterly approach. We presently 
took cover behind a single low bush from the middle of 
which grew a mimosa-thorn, and some fifty yards from 
the green flags. A steady breeze blew from the vlei 
straight up the valley, and remained unchanged through¬ 
out the entire operation. 
Upon arriving exactly opposite this point where we 
lay watching them, the column of elephants came to a 
halt, and for several minutes stood there, evidently in 
consultation—it hardly seems an exaggeration to say in 
“ conversation.” Then they resumed their course, hold¬ 
ing up the valley ; while we followed, keeping level with 
them, on our side the marsh. Presently they halted 
again, and, after further conversation, apparently 
decided that the former spot was, after all, the more 
favourable to effect their passage of the marsh ; for, 
wheeling on their tracks, they marched back thither in 
column, and presently, with great deliberation, com¬ 
menced to cross to our side. We had meanwhile, for 
