nor the want
of manners, to wish to deceive one so lovely."

Whereat the young lady, who was pretty, looked appeased.

"This is very dreadful," I broke in. "We ask for bread and you give us a
stone, Mr. Quatermain. The least that you can do is to tell us the story
of the tusks opposite and the buffalo horns underneath. We won't let you
off with less."

"I am but a poor story-teller," put in the old hunter, "but if you will
forgive my want of skill, I shall be happy to tell you, not the story
of the tusks, for that is part of the history of our journey to King
Solomon's Mines, but that of the buffalo horns beneath them, which is
now ten years old."

"Bravo, Quatermain!" said Sir Henry. "We shall all be delighted. Fire
away! Fill up your glass first."

The little man did as he was bid, took a sip of claret, and
began:--"About ten years ago I was hunting up in the far interior of
Africa, at a place called Gatgarra, not a great way from the Chobe
River. I had with me four native servants, namely, a driver and
voorlooper, or leader, who were natives of Matabeleland, a Hottentot
named Hans, who had once been the slave of a Transvaal Boer, and a Zulu
hunter, who for five years had accompanied me upon my trips, and whose
name was Mashune. Now near Gatgarra I found a fine piece of healthy,
park-like country, where the grass was very good, considering the time
of year; and here I made a little camp or head-quarter settlement, from
whence I went expeditions on all sides in search of game, especially
elephant. My luck, however, was bad; I got but little ivory. I was
therefore very glad when some natives brought me news that a large herd
of elephants were feeding in a valley about thirty miles away. At first
I thought of trekking down to the valley, waggon and all, but gave up
the idea on hearing that it was infested with the deadly 'tsetse' fly,
which is certain death to all animals, except men, donkeys, and wild
game. So I reluctantly determined to leave the waggon in the charge of
the Matabele leader and driver, and to start on a trip into the thorn
country, accompanied only by the Hottentot Hans, and Mashune.

"Accordingly on the following morning we started, and on the evening of
the next day reached the spot where the elephants were reported to be.
But here again we were met by ill luck. That the elephants had been
there was evident enough, for their spoor was plentiful, and so were
other traces of their presence in the