XXIII 
SUPERSTITION AND A SEQUEL 
219 
of trees by an elephant. Rushing out in pursuit, 
we found that the animal was only a young male 
with insignificant tusks, who, as an elephant often 
will, came inquisitively on to see what new species 
of animal he had suddenly encountered. Makabuli 
at once sprang away to the rear, and the young 
elephant made a short, easy rush after him, as if 
wishing to give him a good fright. At the same 
instant I fired in the air, hoping to scare the animal 
away, and, as I had expected, the noise of the dis¬ 
charge sent him off full speed in the opposite 
direction. 
That night Makabuli, obsessed with the idea 
that one of his wives was proving faithless to him, 
was in such a state of excitement that he could not 
sleep, and no amount of assurance on my part that 
his troubles were merely imaginary would pacify 
him. He expressed a wish to return to camp at 
once, but I was obliged to refuse him this favour, 
because he was the only one of our party who was 
well acquainted with the country. 
Early next forenoon, having come across the 
fresh spoor of four large tuskers and decided to 
follow them up, I all at once discovered that 
Makabuli, who was carrying extra cartridges for my 
heavy rifle, my binoculars, and rifle telescope, was 
missing, and thinking that a lion must have seized 
him, or that some other mishap had befallen him, I 
