ite a lost labour to follow him farther.

It was now too late in the day to seek for other elephants; and with a
feeling of disappointment, the hunters gave up the chase, and turned
their steps in the direction of the camp.

CHAPTER THIRTY.

THE MISSING HUNTER, AND THE WILDEBEESTS.

A well-known proverb says that "misfortunes seldom come single."

On nearing the camp, the hunters could perceive that all was not right
there. They saw Totty with Truey and Jan standing by the head of the
ladder; but there was something in their manner that told that all was
not right. Where was Hans?

As soon as the hunters came in sight, Jan and Truey ran down the rounds,
and out to meet them. There was that in their glances that bespoke ill
tidings, and their words soon confirmed this conjecture.

Hans was not there--he had gone away hours ago--they knew not where,
they feared something had happened to him,--they feared he was lost!

"But what took him away from the camp?" asked Von Bloom, surprised and
troubled at the news.

That, and only that, could they answer. A number of odd-looking
animals--very odd-looking, the children said,--had come to the vley to
drink. Hans had taken his gun and followed them in a great hurry,
telling Truey and Jan to keep in the tree, and not come down until he
returned. He would be gone only a very little while, and they needn't
fear.

This was all they knew. They could not even tell what direction he had
taken. He went by the lower end of the vley; but soon the bushes hid
him from their view, and they saw no more of him.

"At what time was it?"

It was many hours ago,--in the morning in fact,--not long after the
hunters themselves had started. When he did not return the children
grew uneasy; but they thought he had fallen in with papa and Hendrik,
and was helping them to hunt; and that was the reason why he stayed so
long.

"Had they heard any report of a gun?" No--they had listened for that,
but heard none. The animals had gone away before Hans could get his gun
ready; and they supposed he had to follow some distance before he could
overtake them--that might be the reason they had heard no shot.

"What sort of animals were they?" They had all seen them plain enough,
as they drank. They had never seen any of the kind before. They were
large animals of a yellow brown colour, with shaggy manes, and long
tufts of hair growing out of their breasts, and hanging down between