it's likely he won't run far. What does Kambira think of the white
man's gun?" he added, turning round.

The tall chief nodded approvingly, and said, with a grave
countenance--"Good, good; it is good--better than this," shaking his
short spear.

At that moment a small antelope, which had been startled and put to
flight by some of the other bands of hunters, came crashing wildly
towards them, ignorant of the enemy in its front until within about
thirty yards. It turned at a sharp angle and plunged into the jungle,
but the spear which Kambira had shaken whizzed though the air and
pierced its heart before it had time to disappear.

"A splendid heave!" cried Disco, with enthusiasm; "why, man alive, you'd
make yer fortin' as a harpooner if ye was to go to the whale-fishin'.--
Hallo! there's somethin' else; w'y, the place is swarmin'. It's for all
the world like a zoological ga'rdings let loose."

As he spoke, the hoofs of a herd of ponderous animals were heard, but
the rank grass and underwood concealed them entirely from view. The
whole party rushed to the nearest opening, and were just in time to see
the tail of an irate buffalo make a magnificent flourish in the air as
its owner plunged into cover.

There was no further attempt at conversation after this. The near
presence of large game was too exciting, so that merely a word of
advice, direction, or inquiry, passed as the party advanced rapidly--one
or two of the most active going before as pioneers.

While Disco was striding along with flashing eyes, rifle ready, and head
turning from side to side in momentary expectation of something bounding
suddenly out of somewhere, he chanced to cast his eyes upwards, and, to
his horror, beheld two huge serpents coiled together among the branches
of a tree close to his head.

Uttering a yell of alarm--for he entertained an almost superstitious
dread of serpents--he fired blindly upwards, and dashed to one side so
violently that he tumbled himself and Harold into a bush of wait-a-bit
thorns, out of which the laughing natives found it difficult to extract
them.

"What _is_ the matter, man?" said Harold somewhat testily.

"Have a care! look! Avast! A bite'll be death, an' no mistake!" cried
Disco, pointing to the reptiles.

Harold fired at once and brought them both down, and the natives,
attacking them with sticks, soon killed them.

"No fear," said Antonio, with a chuckle. "Dem not harm nobody, though
ums ugly