Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-10

quickly as possible in the direction from
which we had come We were in time to
intercept the elephants just as the fore
most. an old cow. reached the line along
which our feet had come in contact with
the earth. 1 saw her step dead and scent
the ground rapidly with her outstretched
trunk. the point of which was moved
quickly to and fro close to the ground.
That brief examination was sufficient, her
delicate sense of smell having evidently
conveyed TO her brain the information that
human beings. the dreaded enemies of her
race. had lately passed that way, and
might therefore, still be near her. How
she conveyed the Information to her COM
panions do not know, but In another mo-
ment the whole herd had swung round and
were making of at a sflambling trOt in the
opposite direction. Then followed a long
and exhausting chase in the intense heat
of an African sun, which. however. re-
suited in the death of several elephants
On another occasion remember follow
ing four enormous bulls which had come to
drink one night in lagoon formed by the
overflow of the River Chobi. We took up
the tracks at the first dawn of day. the
elephants being not far ahead of US, ami
were III momentary expectation of coming
up with them. when We suddenly found
that they had become alarmed and had
fled. An examination of the ground show
ed US that they had turned short round on
reaching the track We had made when ap-
preaching the river on the previous day
with a long retinue of katfirs. Their
keenness Of scent had at once enabled
them to detect the faint left on the ground
by human feet which had passed that way
some twenty hours before. and as we
never caught them up was the means Of
saving them for. that day at least from the
attentions of an elephant gun.
Two Days Hunt.
During 1885. some five years before the
occupation Of Mashonaland by pioneers,
] was camped on the banks of the Umfuli
river. in company with a well-known Boer
hunter. Cornelius Van Rooyen. We had
returned to camp after a rare good days
buffalo hunting, and were lust about to
discuss our rough but substantial evening 8
meal, when two of the kaffirs we had left
at the carcass of one of the buffaloes came
and reported that a herd of elephants had
passed through the bush within sight Of
them, just as it was growing dusk. AS the
wind was favorable. they did not think
the keen-scented animals had become
aware OF their presence. or taken alarm in
any way. SO we determined to follow them
up the following day.
The next morning, therefore, at earliest
dawn. We rode out and cut their spoor
some two miles beyond the spot where the
kaff1rs had seen them the preceding even
ing. and a glance at the tracks showed us
that they had still been walking quietly
here. and had evidently not scented any
Of the dead buffaloes. The elephants had
a long start of about ten hours In front of
US. but they had been feeding to some ex-
tent. stripping tree here and there of its
bark. sometimes breaking off large
branches, and even stopping now and then
to dig up some succulent root. 1t looked as
If they were altogether uususpicious of
danger. ard might be expected to halt as
soon as the sun became uncomfortably
warm, in order 10 enjoy a midday siesta
in a shady spot, as lazy. sober-minded ele-
plants always do in parts of the country
where they have not been much hunted.
There was among the great round and
oblong tracks of some twenty large ele-
plants. the spoor of tiny calf that could
not have been many days old, and the
16ct that so young an animal was among
the herd made us feel sure that We should
come I'D with them in the course of the
DAY. Tor we did not think such baby ele-
phant would be capable Of travelling any
very great distance without resting. We
soon learned, too. by a careful examine
tlon OF the ground that two bulls were
with the herd, the one evidently an ami
mai OF the largest size, while the second
was considerably smaller, but yet might
De expected to carry tusks of about
twenty to twenty-five pounds weight each
Inc big bull. We feared, would prove TO be
tuskless elephant which both Van
hooyen and myself had lately seem in
TINS district, the animal have before mem
TONED as the only tuskless bull eIephant I
have ever seen.
Marvellous Endurance.
we had ridden cut from camp acccm-
panied by some half dozen Kafirs and a