Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1908-08-27
of the soil, made spooring very diff

freely, but the rain had washed the
blood off the leaves and grass, and the
ground being so rough and hard, had
not taken the footmarks SO clearly as
was convenient.
However, we got along, though slow
~, partly by the spoor, and partly BY
carefully lifting leaves and blades OF
grass, and finding blood underneath
them, for the blood gushing from
wounded animal often falls upon their
inner surfaces, and then, of course, I'M
less the rain is very heavy, 1t is not
supply of vegetable food from the Eraal
in consideration Of services rendered.
and left them with my blessing.
l do not know how they settled mat
;ers, because I have not seen them
since.
Then | started on the spoor Of the
three bulls.
For couple of miles or so below the
kraal, as far. indeed. as the belt OF
swamp that bordered the river. the
ground was at this spot rather stony,
and clothed with scattered bushes.
Rain had fallen toward the daybreaE.
and this fact. together with the nature
washed away.
1t took us something over an hour
and a half to reach the edge Of the
marsh, but once there our task became
much easier, for the soft soil showed
plentiful evidences of the great brutes'
passage.
Threading our way through the
swampy land, we came at last to a
ford of the river. and here we could
see where the poor wounded animal
had lain down in the mud and water
in the hope of easing himself of his
pain, and could see also how his two
faithful companions had assisted him
to rise again.
We crossed the ford, and took up
the spoor on the farther side, and fol-
lowed it into the marsh-like land be-
You'd.
No rain had fallen on this side of the
river, and the blood marks were con-
sequently much more frequent. =,
All that day we followed the three
bulls, now across open plains. and now
through patches Of bush.
They seemed to have Travelled on al
most without stopping, and noticed
that as they went the wounded bull
got IN his strength little.
This l could see from his spoor,
which had become firmer, and also
from the fact that the other two had
given up supporting him.
At last evening closed in, and hav-
ing travelled some eighteen miles we
camped, thoroughly tired out.
Before dawn the following day we
were up, and the first break of light
found us once more on the spoor.
About half-past 5 o'clock we reached
the place where the elephants had fed
and slept.
The two unwounded bulls had taken
their fill, as the condition of the neigh.
boring bushes showed but the wound
ed one had eaten nothing.
He had spent the night leaning
against a good-sized tree which his
weight had pushed out Of the perpen-
dicular
They had not long left this place, and
could not be very far ahead, especially
as the wounded bull was now again
so stiff after his nights rest that for
the first few miles the other two had
been obliged to support him.
But elephants go very quick, even
when they seem to be travelling slowly,
for shrub and creepers that almost
stop mans progress are no hindrance
to them.
The three had now turned to the left,
and were travelling back again in
seml-circular line toward the noun
tains, probably with the idea of work
ing around to their old feeding grounds
OH the farther side Of the river.
There was nothing for it but to fol-
low their lead, and accordingly we FOL-
lowed with industry.
Through all that long hot day did we
tramp, passing quantities Of every sort
of game, and even coming across the
| spoor of other elephants.
! But, in spite of my mems entreatics
would not turn aside after these.
l would have those mighty tusks OF
| zone.
BY evening we were quite close tt
our game, probably within quarter
IF mile, but the bush was dense, SO
once more we had to camp, thoroughly
disguised with our luck.
That night, just after the moon go,
up. while / was sitting smoking my
pipe with my back against a tree,
heard an elephant trumpet, as though
something had startled it, not three
hundred yards away.
l was very tired, but my curiosity
overcame my WEAKNESS, so, withou
saying word TO any of my men, all OF
whom were asleep, l took my eight
bore and few spare cartridges ant
steered toward the sound
The game path which we had beer
following all day ran straight on il
the direction from which the elephan
had trumpeted.
1t was narrow, but well trodden, ant
the light struck down upon 1t in
straight white line.
crept along it cautiously foc som
two hundred yards, when 1t suddenl
| opened into most beautiful glade
hundred yards or more in Width
wherein tall grass grew and Gat-toppe
! trees stood sinsly.