of jackals were driven from
the carcass; and several of the natives stopped to prevent these
carnivora devouring any more of the animal's body, by appropriating it
to themselves.

Obeying the instructions of their chief, Macora's followers had brought
with them long and strong rheims,--that is, cords made of rhinoceros
hide,--and, on reaching the pool in which the seven dead hippopotami
were lying, Macora gave orders for the carcasses to be hauled out.

This work, under ordinary circumstances, would have been next to
impossible; but taking into consideration the flatness of the ground,
and the united strength of some hundred and fifty men capable of
handling a rope, the thing was soon accomplished.

The task of skinning and cutting up then commenced; while the women and
children kindled fires and made other preparations for a grand banquet.

Until a late hour of the night, the natives remained at work. All the
flesh not required for immediate use was separated into long slips, to
be dried in the sun, and thus converted into _biltongue_, while the
whole of the teeth were to remain the property of those who had killed
the hippopotami.

The two hunters, Groot Willem and Hendrik, on that night had not far to
travel in order to obtain a sufficiency of their favourite sport.

Attracted by the odour of the slain pachyderms, lions, hyenas, and
jackals came prowling about the pool, loudly expressing their
disapprobation of the fact that they themselves had not been invited to
partake of the feast. Notwithstanding the large number of human beings
collected upon the spot, the hyenas came close up, and, with deafening
roars, threatened to make an attack.

The guns of Groot Willem and Hendrik were, for a time, kept constantly
cracking, and the ugly brutes at length grew more wary, betaking
themselves to a safer distance.

The hunters had no desire to lose time or ammunition, in mere wanton
destruction of life. They only desired to kill such game as might
contribute towards remunerating them for the long journey; and they soon
ceased firing at hyenas and jackals. Leaving the pool, they walked
along the shore of the lagoon, towards the ground where they had seen
the hippopotami during the earlier hours of the day.

Night being the usual time for those animals to feed, the youths
calculated upon making an addition to the list of their prizes,--nor
were they disappointed.

Half a mile from the spot where Macora and his