44 ADVENTURES OF AN ELEPHANT HUNTER ch. 
the bush, our clothes, soaked with the heavy dew 
that distils on the long grass and vegetation during 
the cool of an African night, clung uncomfortably 
to our limbs, and it was with a feeling akin to joy 
that we greeted the sunrise with its cheering 
warmth. 
In the forenoon, we came across the spoor of 
a herd of elephants and after an exciting chase 
managed to bag two of them, but the natives of 
Iperie’s village, some of whom had accompanied 
me, were emphatic in their declaration that neither 
of these animals was Kom-Kom. Lunch came 
as a welcome relief to the toil of the chase, and, 
having rested awhile, we set out for the 
Lerongie jungle to see if we could come in touch 
with the Mighty One. Passing through Nagoro- 
menia’s Kraal on our way, we reached Iperie’s 
village and there learned that Kom-Kom had 
visited the natives’ matama gardens on the previous 
night and had committed havoc among the crops. 
The owners of the shambas were in great distress 
over the loss, so we decided to pass the night in 
their village in the hope that the elusive marauder 
would revisit this convenient feeding ground under 
cover of darkness and leave us a fresh spoor by 
which to track him down on the morrow. The 
night, however, passed uneventfully ; not a sound 
came from the shambas to indicate the presence 
