“Accordingly on the following morning we started, and on the evening of the next day reached the spot where the elephants were reported to be.  But here again we were met by ill luck.  That the elephants had been there was evident enough, for their spoor was plentiful, and so were other traces of their presence in the shape of mimosa trees torn out of the ground, and placed topsy-turvy on their flat crowns, in order to enable the great beasts to feed on their sweet roots; but the elephants themselves were conspicuous by their absence.  They had elected to move on.  This being so, there was only one thing to do, and that was to move after them, which we did, and a pretty hunt they led us.  For a fortnight or more we dodged about after those elephants, coming up with them on two occasions, and a splendid herd they were—­only, however, to lose them again.  At length we came up with them a third time, and I managed to shoot one bull, and then they started off again, where it was useless to try and follow them.  After this I gave it up in disgust, and we made the best of our way back to the camp, not in the sweetest of tempers, carrying the tusks of the elephant I had shot.

“It was on the afternoon of the fifth day of our tramp that we reached the little koppie overlooking the spot where the waggon stood, and I confess that I climbed it with a pleasurable sense of home-coming, for his waggon is the hunter’s home, as much as his house is that of the civilized person.  I reached the top of the koppie, and looked in the direction where the friendly white tent of the waggon should be, but there was no waggon, only a black burnt plain stretching away as far as the eye could reach.  I rubbed my eyes, looked again, and made out on the spot of the camp, not my waggon, but some charred beams of wood.  Half wild with grief and anxiety, followed by Hans and Mashune, I ran at full speed down the slope of the koppie, and across the space of plain below to the spring of water, where my camp had been.  I was soon there, only to find that my worst suspicions were confirmed.

“The waggon and all its contents, including my spare guns and ammunition, had been destroyed by a grass fire.

“Now before I started, I had left orders with the driver to burn off the grass round the camp, in order to guard against accidents of this nature, and here was the reward of my folly:  a very proper illustration of the necessity, especially where natives are concerned, of doing a thing one’s self if one wants it done at all.  Evidently the lazy rascals had not burnt round the waggon; most probably, indeed, they had themselves carelessly fired the tall and resinous tambouki grass near by; the wind had driven the flames on to the waggon tent, and there was quickly an end of the matter.  As for the driver and leader, I know not what became of them:  probably fearing my anger, they bolted, taking the oxen with them.  I have never seen them from that hour to this.