reeting the two boys
with shouts of admiration and approval. They had not witnessed the
manner in which the elephant had come by his death, a belt of shrubs
having cut them off from the tree, in which Nick had been seated. They
concluded that the animal had simply been brought down, as it was
rushing by, by a successful shot from the lad's rifle; which must indeed
have been fired with extraordinary skill to be so instantaneously fatal.
The elephant slain was the great leader of the herd, fully twelve feet
in height, and with tusks that projected at least two feet beyond the
lip. It was by far the most valuable prize of the day, and its ivory
would fetch a considerable sum in the market. They overwhelmed the
successful sportsman with applause; and mounting Nick on their
shoulders, carried him back in triumph to the village, which lay at the
distance of not more than a couple of miles. Nick, who did not
particularly relish the honours bestowed upon him, nor the close
contiguity to the persons of the natives into which he was brought, did
his best to explain the occurrence to his bearers, and request them to
desist from rendering compliments which were altogether unmerited.

"I say, darky," he cried, "drop that, will you? I can walk home quite
well without your help, thank you all the same. I'm not much of a shot
with a rifle, and shouldn't have killed the chap, I expect, if he hadn't
come and obligingly put his eye within half a yard of me! Bother it
man, put me down. How their skins do stink--to be sure! Here, Kobo,
Kobo"--he had just caught sight of his attendant, as he spoke--"just
explain to these fellows, will you, that I prefer my own legs to their
arms, if they have no objection; and the flavour of grease and red ochre
isn't agreeable to everybody. I prefer a different style of perfume
myself!"

"Bechuanas carry white boy, 'cause he great hunter, kill big elephant,
pay him great honour," returned Kobo.

"I understand that plain enough," said Nick, "but I wish they'd honour
me according to my own notions, instead of theirs."

"Take it easy, Nick," said Frank, laughing. "We shall soon enter the
kraal now. I hope that brute, Maomo, will be in the way to see our
entry. It will do him good."

As they ran on in this way, they approached the Bechuana kraal, where
indeed, in accordance, as it seemed, with Wilmore's wish, nearly the
whole population, that had remained behind from the elephant hunt, were