d the attack.

This course of action was several times repeated before the young hunter
was allowed much time for reflection. He was in hopes that the brute
would get tired of the useless charges it was making and either go away
itself, or give him the opportunity.

In this hope he was doomed to disappointment. The animal, exasperated
with the wounds it had received, appeared implacable; and for more than
an hour it kept running around the tree in vain attempts to get at him.
As he had very little trouble in avoiding it, there was plenty of
opportunity for reflection; and he passed the time in devising some plan
to settle the misunderstanding between the borele and himself.

The first he thought of was to make use of his rifle. The weapon was
within his reach where he had dropped it when diving under the tree; but
when about to reload it, he discovered that the ramrod was missing!

So sudden had been the charge of the borele, at the time the rifle was
last loaded, that the ramrod had not been returned to its proper place,
but left behind upon the plain. This was an unlucky circumstance; and
for a time the young hunter could not think of anything better than to
keep turning from side to side, to avoid the presence of the besieger.

The borele at last seemed to show signs of exhaustion, or, at all
events, began to perceive the unprofitable nature of the tactics it had
been pursuing. But the spirit of revenge was not the least weakened
within it, for it made no move toward taking its departure from the
spot. On the contrary, it lay down by the baobab in a position to
command a view on both sides of the huge trunk, evidently determined to
stay there and await the chance of getting within reach of its victim.

Thus silently beleaguered, the young hunter set about considering in
what manner he might accomplish the raising of the siege.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

RESCUED.

The sun went down, the moon ascended above the tops of the surrounding
trees, yet the borele seemed no less inspired by the spirit of revenge
than on first receiving the injuries it was wishing to resent.

For many hours the young hunter waited patiently for it to move away in
search of food or any other object except that of revenge; but in this
hope he was disappointed. The pain inflicted by the shots would not
allow either hunger or thirst to interfere with the desire for
retaliation, and it continued to maintain a watch so vigilant that Arend