litter was speedily constructed from some boughs of trees, and Tom
being placed in it was at once carried back to the camp, escorted by his
friend. The hunters remained behind to cut out the tusks of the two
elephants that had fallen. A portion of the trunks and feet, which are
considered the most delicate portions of the elephant, was laid aside
for the use of the white men, and a large quantity of meat was brought
back to camp for the natives.

The sound of firing had brought up some people from a small village two
or three miles away, and these to their immense joy were allowed to
carry off enough meat to enable them to feast to the utmost extent of
their ability for a week to come.

Mr Harvey had in the course of his wanderings frequently had occasion
to dress wounds and bandage broken bones; he was therefore able to apply
the necessary bandages to Tom, and the lad was soon lying in comparative
ease on a bed formed of rags. Generally the boys slept in hammocks, but
Mr Harvey insisted that Tom must lie perfectly straight on his back
until the bones had begun to set again.

"We made a sad mess with that old bull to-day, Dick," he said. "It is
humiliating to think that he should have charged us all, injured Tom,
and got away almost unscathed."

"You see, sir," Dick said, "he attacked us unexpectedly; our guns were
all discharged, and he came on with such a rush that there was no
getting a steady shot at him. The whole affair lasted little more than
a minute, I should say."

"I shall go out to-morrow morning," Mr Harvey said, "and take up the
track again, and see if I cannot get even with the beast. There is time
enough to-day, for it is still early, but the herd will be so restless
and suspicious that there will be no getting near them, and I should not
care to face that old bull unless I had a fair chance of killing him at
the first shot. He has a magnificent pair of tusks, and ivory sells so
high that they would be worth a good deal of trouble and some risk to
get."

"Shall I go with you, sir?"

"No, Dick, I would rather you did not. The business will be more
dangerous than usual, and I should not like the responsibility of having
you with me. Tom had as narrow a shave yesterday as ever I saw, and I
certainly do not want two of you on my hands."

Dick was not sorry at Mr Harvey's decision, for after the charge of the
bull-elephant he felt just at present he should not care about
encountering anothe