umber, when they were roused by Chicory to tell them that
there were elephants in the open forest close at hand.

The news was electrical, and in a very few minutes they were standing
ready with their father; and strict silence being enjoined, they
followed the Zulu warrior through the thin forest by the light of the
moon, till, advancing very cautiously, the General made an observation
or two, and then came back and led the little party to where they could
peer from amidst the trees and dimly see, looming up from the edge of a
great pool, the bodies of twenty or thirty elephants of all sizes,
busily drawing up water in their trunks and squirting it into their
mouths.

This they continued for some time, grunting, snorting, and uttering a
peculiar sigh now and then, when, to Dick's surprise, he suddenly seemed
to see the huge bodies of the elephants more plainly, and knew that the
day was breaking.

There was one great beast standing not forty yards from him, swinging
its trunk to and fro, and flapping its enormous leather-like ears
against its neck; when, unable to resist the temptation, and without
pausing to consider whether it was wise or no, he took a quick aim at
the back of the huge creature's head; there was a flash, and as the
report of Dick's piece rang out, a tremendous rush, and the elephant
herd had gone thundering over the plain.

But not all. The large tusker had fallen over upon its side by the
pool, and on making a circuit so as to get at it from the side of the
plain, Dick advanced to find that he had made a most fortunate shot, and
as he drew near felt struck with wonderment at the huge proportions of
his first elephant.

After feasting their eyes, the party returned to camp for something
substantial in the way of breakfast, made toothsome with guinea-fowl, of
which they shot several; and directly after the General went off to chop
out the splendid pair of tusks, Dinny accompanying him to have a look at
the "ingy-rubber."

This done, they started to follow up the trail of the elephants, for it
was Jack's turn now, and his father wished to add a few tusks to the
load of treasures in skins they were to take back.

A long and wearisome following of the trail had no result, for it was
evident that they had been so scared by the loss of their companion that
they had gone straight off without pausing to feed, in search of safer
ground.

The heat was terrible, and at last they were compelled to hal