What With The Diminution Of Our Supplies, The Famished State Of
The Country, And The Difficulties Which Frowned Upon Us
In
advance, together with unwillingness to give up so good a mule,
with all its gear and ammunition, I must
Say I felt doubtful as
to what had better be done, until the corporal, who felt
confident he would find the beast, begged so hard that I sent him
in command of another expedition of sixteen men, ordering him to
take one of the prisoners with him to proclaim to his brethren
that we would give up the rest if they returned us the mule. The
corporal then led off his band to the spot where he last saw
traces of the animal, and tracked on till sundown; while Grant
and myself went out pot-hunting and brought home a bag consisting
of one striped eland, one saltiana antelope, four guinea-fowl,
four ringdoves, and one partridge - a welcome supply, considering
we were quite out of flesh.
Next day, as there were no signs of the trackers, I went again to
the place of the elands, wounded a fine male, but gave up the
chase, as I heard the unmistakable gun-firing return of the
party, and straightway proceeded to camp. Sure enough, there
they were; they had tracked the animal back to Marenga Mkhali,
through jungle - for he had not taken to the footpath. Then
finding he had gone on, they returned quite tired and famished.
To make the most of a bad job, I now sent Grant on to the Robeho
(or windy) Pass, on the top of the western chain, with the mules
and heavy baggage, and directions to proceed thence across the
brow of the hill the following morning, while I remained behind
with the tired men, promising to join him by breakfast-time.
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