an hour before noon
Charlie looked regretfully at the huge gate-posts , each nearly three feet thick and planted solidly in the ground . `` Well , the sooner we do the shooting the sooner we can dig , '' he sighed , and turned to the horses . The three gun-bearers had old Snider rifles of their own , which so far had not come into use , and these they left with the doctor and Gholab , carrying the 30-30s as had been their custom during the march . It was still an hour before noon , and by midday they had shot two impalla , which with four hartebeest made up all the game they could carry back . No signs of danger were seen on that short excursion , although once a lion broke cover and trotted away ahead of them . The boys could see no sign of elephant with their glasses . `` He 's around , '' laughed Schoverling to their expressions of doubt .