he best way," replied Alexander; "not that I fear
their refusing to go on, for if they do, I will dismiss them, and go on
with the Caffres; they dare not go back by themselves, that is certain."

"Sir," said Bremen, "that is very true; but must not trust the Caffres
too much--Caffres always try to get guns and ammunition: Caffre king,
Hinza, very glad to get the waggons and what is in them: make him rich
man, and powerful man, with so many guns. Caffre king will not rob in
his own country, because he is afraid of the English; but if the
waggon's robbed, and you all killed in this country, which is not his,
then he make excuses, and say, `I know nothing about it.' Say that
their people do it, not his people."

"Bremen talks very sensibly," said the Major; "we must keep the
Hottentots as a check to the Caffres, and the Caffres as a check to the
Hottentots."

"That is our policy, depend upon it," replied Swinton.

"You are right, and we will do so; but the day is breaking; so, Bremen,
collect the people together to search for the cattle; and, Omrah, tell
Mahomed to come here."

"By the bye, Swinton," said Major Henderson, "those elephants' tusks
lying by the waggon remind me of a question I want to put to you:--In
Ceylon, where I have often hunted the elephant, they have no tusks; and
in India the tusks are not common, and in general very small. How do
you account for this variety?"

"It has been observed before; and it is but a fair surmise, that
Providence, ever attentive to the wants of the meanest animals, has
furnished such large tusks to the African elephant for the necessity
which requires them. In Ceylon there is plenty of grass, and an
abundant supply of water all the year round; and further, in Ceylon, the
elephant has no enemy to defend himself against. Here, in Africa, the
rivers are periodical torrents, which dry up, and the only means which
all elephant has of obtaining water during the dry season is to dig with
his tusks into the bed of the river, till he finds the water, which he
draws up with his trunk. Moreover, he has to defend himself against the
rhinoceros, which is a formidable antagonist, and often victorious. He
requires tusks also for his food in this country, for the elephant digs
up the mimosa here with his tusks, that he may feed upon the succulent
roots of the tree. Indeed, an elephant in Africa without his tusks
could not well exist."

"Thank you for your explanation, which app