242 
SPORT AND WAR. 
CHAP. XXIII. 
across its own spoor so often that it became difficult to 
follow the last trace. He must have halted several 
times, as the hunters repeatedly came upon pools of 
blood ; and although this has taken but a short time 
to tell Currie and the hunters followed his spoor from 
sunrise until dark without coming up to the monster; 
they found, however, repeated indications of being 
immediately upon him, and from the winding and zig¬ 
zag trace the monarch of the forest must have been in 
a staggering condition, when darkness alone prevented 
them from coming up with the wounded animal. 
Currie and the hunters did not reach the camp 
until late at night, and we were all much disappointed 
at the non-success of the day. His Eoyal Highness, 
however, expressed himself much pleased and gratified 
with the sport he had seen, and it was intended that 
we should return to the 6 Knysna ’ the next day, re¬ 
embark on board ship, and return to Cape Town. 
The Prince has inherited the royal virtue of punc¬ 
tuality ; and as it had been settled, before leaving Cape 
Town that we were to land on our return voyage short 
of Simon’s Bay and attend a great ‘battue hunt’ of 
small game at Mr. Vanderbyl’s farm, some distance 
from Cape Town, where great preparations had been 
made to receive and entertain the Eoyal Prince, it was 
decided that we were to give up further prospect of 
elephant sport, so as to arrive there at the appointed 
