expended nearly all the ammunition we had with us.
At length we returned to the village, where we found the people taking
the loss of their crops very philosophically, as they considered that
the abundance of elephant meat would make them ample amends.

"I hope the poor people will not get a surfeit," remarked Harry. "I
suspect in a few days they'll wish the carcases at Jericho, or at all
events, at a distance from their village. Our horses and the quagga
would have fared ill, had the elephants come across them."

After a few hours' rest, we bade our friends goodbye, and mounted our
steeds, promising to return for the tusks, which we reminded them were
ours.

Harry wisely kept a sack over his animal's neck, and Toko and I rode on
either side to guide it. The creature went wonderfully well, and sooner
than we had expected we came upon the waggons. The news we brought was
highly satisfactory, and without a moment's delay the oxens' heads were
turned in the direction of the village.

The people received us as old friends, and to encourage them to help us
we promised them a reward for each of the tusks they brought in. They
had already begun to butcher the elephants which had fallen in their
plantations, and in every direction round the huts strips of flesh were
hung up to dry, creating an odour far from pleasant. They lost no time
in bringing in the tusks. Harry and I were highly complimented on our
performance. The tusks being cleaned and stowed away, our waggons were
nearly full: another day's successful hunting would enable us to turn
our faces westward. We accordingly promised to reward our hosts if they
would bring us information as to the direction the herd had taken.
Harry and I had been congratulating ourselves on the prospect of a quiet
night's rest in our tent between the waggons; but we had not been long
asleep when we were aroused by a tremendous clap of thunder which seemed
to break directly over our heads, while almost immediately afterwards,
there came a most fearful shrieking and shouting from the village close
to which we were encamped. Slipping on our coats, we hurried out. As
we did so a curious sight met our gaze. The whole of the male
population were on foot, armed with bows, and arrows; and as the
lightning darted from the black clouds we saw them shooting away at them
as fast as they could place their arrows to the string.

As may be supposed, we kept carefully behind the savages les