334 
AFRICAN HUNTING. 
losses ; you cannot reckon on anything, and live stock 
is most precarious property. I lost two valuable 
oxen yesterday in pit-falls, both breaking their necks 
as they were going to the river to drink; if it had 
happened to a Boer, he would have taken two Masara 
children in their stead, as we had told the Masaras to 
open all their pit-falls and traps during our stay, and 
they had neglected to do so. Old Tebe has been 
fortunate enough to buy nearly two sacks of Kaffir 
corn, so that in case of more elephants we shall still 
get a little more work out of our used-up nags. 
I went out this morning to solve a riddle which 
has been puzzling me all night. Two Makubas 
punted me several miles up the river last night by 
moonlight, to lie in wait for a rhinoceros as he came to 
drink, and, while doing so, we heard game splashing 
and drinking below us ; the Makubas said it was 
elephants, and we punted noiselessly and swiftly down 
to them. Just as the boat glided by a fallen tree lying 
in the water, I was ready, and had a snap shot at two 
things as they dashed madly out. I could distinctly 
see something very white about their heads, which I 
took for teeth, but in point of size, speed, and all 
other respects, they were much more like buffaloes. 
The bush was very dense to the water’s edge, and as 
it was bitterly cold I took a paddle and we went 
right merrily back, assisted by a strong stream. This 
morning, however, I could find no signs of any blood- 
spoor from last night’s shot, so I took up the spoor 
of buffaloes from the water some three or four miles, 
