BUFFALOES BAGGED.

with which he seemed highly deUghted. On their way to our camp, they had passed the night near to some water in Khor Meheteb ; and, while resting there, a herd of elephants had come to drink about midnight, and buffaloes had visited the same pool early that morning. My brothers and Colvin started off with the intention of spending the night near the wateringplace, on the chance of their returning; and about three a.m.

those of us who had remained in camp heard several shots, which we hoped had been directed at the elephants. Unfortunately, however, they saw nothing of them, but returned to camp about noon, having bagged two buffaloes, a mddrif {Jiippotragus Bakirii), a tetel, and an ariel.

They had found the pool of water about five or six miles from camp ; and two of them had spent the night on the ground on the bank above the khor, and the other in a large baobabtree. During the night a giraffe had come to drink, but it was before the moon was up, and they could see nothing of it. Then a herd of some twenty or thirty buffaloes made their appearance, but unfortunately there was such a poor moon that it was difficult to take a good aim ; one fell dead, however ; the rest made off. As soon as it was light, they searched to see if there was any sign of a blood-track, as they felt sure they must have hit one or two others ; and soon found evidence of a wounded beast. Salee, who was with them, tracked the animal a long way. This man was a most extraordinary tracker, and would follow wounded game for miles when there was very little blood to be seen, and that only at long intervals, and where the country was so thick, and the ground so covered with fallen leaves, that it was often most difficult to find the buffaloes' footprints. Frequently, too, the ground was very hard, and covered with pebbles, making it extremely difficult to follow an animal's tracks ; as the heaviest beast would leave so