t we might
be struck by the arrows, which we had heard were poisoned. The thunder
rattled and roared, the lightning flashed, and the men shrieked and
howled. I asked Toko what it all meant.

"They're shooting at the storm-clouds to drive them away," he answered.

"Do you think it will produce that effect?" I asked.

"Who knows?" he replied. "They fancy so, and are therefore right to try
and get rid of the storm, and drive away what they believe would do them
harm."

I told Toko that the powerful Being who rules the heavens would not be
influenced by such folly, though he would be ready to hear the prayers
of the smallest child. He seemed to take the matter far more lightly
than I should have expected.

"They are poor ignorant savages," he remarked, "who have not the
advantage of living with white men."

The storm swept by, and the poor people were satisfied that their
shooting had driven it away.

Next morning, inspanning at an early hour, we proceeded in the direction
we concluded the elephants had taken.

While camping at noon, some of the natives who had gone on ahead as
scouts, brought us the satisfactory intelligence that the herd were
feeding in a wood about eight miles off; and that as a stream ran by,
they were certain to go down to drink in the evening; when, if we took
proper measures, we should be able to kill as many more as we wanted.
We lost no time, therefore, in proceeding onward, and as the ground was
pretty level we made good progress.

We camped at a part of the stream where we could draw water; and where,
from the rocky character of the bank, the elephants were not likely to
come down and drink. On one side it was a swamp, between which and our
camp we could leave our horses at liberty to feed, one or two men only
being required to watch them. As soon as these arrangements were made,
we set off to search for the spoor of the elephants, so that we might
place ourselves in ambush on one side, as we had before done, to shoot
them as they approached or returned from the water.

As we made our onward way, we caught sight of numerous elephants feeding
at their ease in various directions. If they were part of the herd
which we had lately attacked, they had soon recovered from their alarm.
We took up our posts in satisfactory positions, hoping that, before the
night was over, we should have bagged the full complement of tusks we
required.

I do not suppose the detailed account of our va