The Globe-republican., 1890-09-10

are In full cry; the giraffes hear them
and are away, rolling round the koppie
like a ship in heavy sea. No marrow
bones after all. See! the foremost dogs
are close on a buck. He has galloped
far and is outworn. One springs at his
flank and misses him. The buck gives
a kind of groan, looks wildly round and
sees the wagon. He seems to hesitate .
moment, then in his despair rushes up
to it and falls exhausted among the
oxen. The dogs pull up some thirty
PAGES away, painting and snarling. Now,
boy, the gun-no, not the rifle; the shot
gun loaded with loopers.
Bang! bang! There, my friends, two
of you will never hunt buck again. No,
don't touch the buck, for he has come to
us for shelter. and he shall have it.
All, how beautiful is nature before
man comes to spoil it!
Such sight as this have I seen many
hundred times, and hope to see it
again before die.
The first real adventure that befell me
on this particular journey was with ele-
plants, which I will relate because of
its curious termination. just before we
crossed the Orange river we came to a
stretch of forest land some twenty miles
broad. The night we entered this forest
we camped in lovely open glade. A
few yards ahead tambouki grass was
growing to the height of man. or
rather it had been. Now, with the ex-
ception of a few stalks here and there,
it was crushed quite fiat. 1t was already
dusk when we camped, but after the
moon got up walked from the fire to
see how this had happened. One glance
was enough for me. A great herd OF
elephants had evidently passed over the
tall grass not many hours before. The
sight of their spoor rejoiced me exceed
ingly, for though had seen wild ele-
plants, at that time I had never shot
one. Moreover, the sight of elephant
spoor to the African hunter is what
''color in the pan" is to the prospector
of gold. It is by ivory that he lives, and
to shoot it or trade it is his chief aim in
life. My resolution was soon taken. 1
would camp the wagons for awhile in
the forest, and start on horseback after
the elephants.
communicated my decision to Indaba-
zimbi and the other Kaffirs. The latter
were not 10th, for your Kaffir loves hunt
ing, which means plenty of meat and
congenial occupation, but 1ndaba-zimbi
would express no opinion. 1 saw him
retire to little fire that he had lit for
himself and go through some mysterious
performances with bones and clay
mixed with ashes, which were watched
with the greatest interest by the other
Kaffirs. At length he rose, and, coming
forward, informed me that it was all
right, and that did well to go and hunt
the elephants, as should get plenty of
ivory; but he advised me to go on foot.
said I should do nothing of the sort,
but meant to ride. I am wiser now; that
was the first and last time that ever
attempted to hunt elephants on horse
back.
Accordingly we started at dawn, I, In
daba-zimbi and three men; the rest 1
left with the wagons. was on horseback,
and SO was my driver, good rider and a
skillful shot for a Kafir, but 1ndaba-
zimbi and the others walked. From dawn
till midday we followed the trail of the
herd, which was as plain as high road.
Then we off-saddled to let the horses
rest and feed, and about three o'clock
started on again. Another hour or SO
passed, and still there was no sign of
elephants. Evidently the herd had
travelled fast and far, and began to
think that We should have to give it up
when suddenly I caught sight of a
brown mass moving through the thorn
trees on the side of a slope about quar-
ter of mile away. My heart seemed to
jump into my mouth. Where is the
hunter who has not felt like this at the
sight of his fist elephant? l called a
halt, and then, the wind being right,
we set to work to stalk the bull. Very
quietly rode down the hither side OF the