24, I Skirted The Outside Of The Jungle On The High
Bank, On The Narrow Arm Of The River.
We were not long in finding
traces of the lions.
A broad track in the sandy bed of the dried
stream showed where the buffalo had been dragged across to the
thick and impervious green bushes, exactly beneath us on the
margin of the river. A hind quarter of the buffalo, much gnawed,
lay within seven or eight paces of us, among the bushes that had
been trampled down, and the dung of numerous lions lay upon the
open ground near the place of their concealment. We had two
Tokrooris with us, carrying spare rifles, and I felt sure that
the lions were within the bushes of dense nabbuk, which concealed
them as perfectly as though behind a closed curtain. We
approached within three or four yards of this effective screen,
when suddenly we heard the cracking of bones, as the lions
feasted in their den close to us; they would not show themselves,
nor was there any possibility of obtaining a shot; therefore,
after ascending the high bank, and waiting for some time in the
hope that one might emerge to drag away the exposed portion of
the buffalo, we returned to camp.
The aggageers had already returned from a reconnaissance of the
country, as they had started before daybreak in search of
elephants; they reported the fresh tracks of a herd, and they
begged me to lose no time in accompanying them, as the elephants
might retreat to a great distance. There was no need for this
advice; in a few minutes my horse Tetel was saddled, and my six
Tokrooris and Bacheet, with spare rifles, were in attendance.
Bacheet, who had so ingloriously failed in his first essay at Wat
el Negur, had been so laughed at by the girls of the village for
his want of pluck, that he had declared himself ready to face the
devil rather than the ridicule of the fair sex; and, to do him
justice, he subsequently became a first-rate lad in moments of
danger.
The aggageers were quickly mounted. It was a sight most grateful
to a sportsman to witness the start of these superb hunters, who
with the sabres slung from the saddle-bow, as though upon an
everyday occasion, now left the camp with these simple weapons,
to meet the mightiest animal of the creation in hand-to-hand
conflict. The horses' hoofs clattered as we descended the shingly
beach, and forded the river shoulder-deep, through the rapid
current, while those on foot clung to the manes of the horses,
and to the stirrup-leathers, to steady themselves over the loose
stones beneath.
Shortly after our arrival upon the opposite side, we came upon
numerous antelopes of the nellut (A. Strepsiceros) and tetel (A.
Bubalis). I would not fire at these tempting animals, as we were
seeking nobler game.
Tracking was very difficult; as there was a total absence of
rain, it was next to impossible to distinguish the tracks of two
days' date from those most recent upon the hard and parched soil;
the only positive clue was the fresh dung of the elephants, and
this being deposited at long intervals rendered the search
extremely tedious. The greater part of the day passed in useless
toil, and, after fording the river backwards and forwards several
times, we at length arrived at a large area of sand in the bend
of the stream, that was evidently overflowed when the river was
full; this surface of many acres was backed by a forest of large
trees. Upon arrival at this spot, the aggageers, who appeared to
know every inch of the country, declared that, unless the
elephants had gone far away, they must be close at hand, within
the forest. We were speculating upon the direction of the wind,
when we were surprised by the sudden trumpet of an elephant, that
proceeded from the forest already declared to be the covert of
the herd. In a few minutes later, a fine bull elephant marched
majestically from the jungle upon the large area of sand, and
proudly stalked direct towards the river.
At that time we were stationed under cover of a high bank of sand
that had been left by the retiring river in sweeping round an
angle; we immediately dismounted, and remained well concealed.
The question of attack was quickly settled; the elephant was
quietly stalking towards the water which was about three hundred
paces distant from the jungle: this intervening space was heavy
dry sand, that had been thrown up by the stream in the sudden
bend of the river, which, turning from this point at a right
angle, swept beneath a perpendicular cliff of conglomerate rock
formed of rounded pebbles cemented together.
I proposed that we should endeavour to stalk the elephant, by
creeping along the edge of the river, under cover of a sand bank
about three feet high, and that, should the rifles fail, the
aggageers should come on at full gallop, and cut off his retreat
from the jungle; we should then have a chance for the swords.
Accordingly, I led the way, followed by Hadji Ali, my head
Tokroori, with a rifle, while I carried the "Baby." Florian
accompanied us. Having the wind fair, we advanced quickly for
about half the distance, at which time we were within a hundred
and fifty yards of the elephant, who had just arrived at the
water, and had commenced drinking. We now crept cautiously
towards him; the sand bank had decreased to a height of about two
feet, and afforded very little shelter. Not a tree nor bush grew
upon the surface of the barren sand, which was so deep that we
sank nearly to the ankles at every footstep. Still we crept
forward, as the elephant alternately drank, and then spouted the
water in a shower over his colossal form; but just as we had
arrived within about fifty yards, he happened to turn his head in
our direction, and immediately perceived us.
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