wing quite mighty hunters in
the land. Only," he added, smiling, "the antelope would have killed the
lions without your help. But what a head--what horns! That skin must
be taken off carefully, boys, and the head preserved as our greatest
trophy. Yes," he said, measuring, "the horns are quite--no--three
inches short of five feet long, and as sharp as needles at the points.
You know what it is, of course?"

"Yes," said Dick, admiring the jetty black skin and white underneath
parts, "the swart vitpense."

"Yes, or sable antelope," said Mr Rogers. And then all set to work
skinning, and a hard, hot, weary task they had before the two lions' and
the sable antelope's skins, were lying upon the ground, when the
vultures, patiently waiting at a distance, were allowed to come on to
their banquet.

By this time Coffee and Chicory had come up on their trail, and helped
to carry back the spoil.

CHAPTER FORTY FOUR.

ELEPHANTS IN SIGHT.

In spite of their searching, the baboons were not seen till camp was
being moved again to cross the ridge and descend into the plain, when
the vicious little animals made so desperate an attack upon the party,
throwing stones with such accuracy, that they had to be treated to a
volley, and then to a second, before the troop, quite a hundred strong,
took to flight; and the dogs killed the wounded left upon the ground,
but only at the expense of some vicious bites from the dying apes.

They were fired at with no little compunction, for mingled with their
dog-like aspect there was a great deal that was terribly human, and
after shooting one of the largest and fiercest, Dick said he felt as if
he had committed a murder.

It was, however, a work of necessity, and nothing but a vigorous attack
sufficed to drive the malicious little monsters away.

"Anywhere near the Boer settlements these creatures do infinite
mischief," Mr Rogers said, "watching for, and destroying the lambs to a
terrible extent."

Days of weary trekking across plains before they came into pool-strewn
land, where the footprints of buffalo were here and there obliterated by
the monstrous round track left by the elephant.

And now for the last time before beginning the return journey they
formed camp, and prepared for some of the most serious part of their
hunt.

The General said that the elephants must be plentiful, and promised to
show them the next day; but the boys seemed hardly to have sunk into a
profound sl