to go."

"But tell us," said Victor, another Boer, "about the lion above there.
How did you see him? It was dark, was it not?"

"Not very dark; the moon gave me light, and the creature whisked its
tail just as it was going to spring, and so I saw it. I knew the place
was one likely for a lion, and so had my eyes about me. It does not do
to think too much when you walk in the veldt by night, or you may be
taken unawares. I shot the lion between the eyes; and had he been any
thing but a lion, he would have dropped dead; but a lion's life is too
big to go all at once out of so small a hole as a bullet makes, and so
he did not die for ten minutes."

"Where are the other two bull elephants, Hans?" inquired Victor. "Did
they go far, do you think, or would they stop?"

"One is beside the Vlei near the Bavians Kloof; the other is in the
thorn-bushes a mile from it."

"But they won't stop there. Where think you they will be to-morrow?"

"Where they are now," replied Hans, as he quietly brought from his
pocket the ends of two more elephants' tails, and placed them beside
those already on the ground.

"You have not killed all four bull elephants, Hans?" said Bernhard, with
a look of astonishment. "Will a bull elephant let you cut off the end
of his tail when he is alive, Bernhard? You taught me first how to
spoor an elephant, and you never told me that he would let you do that;
so I killed mine first, and then cut his tail off afterwards. I shot
all four bull elephants, and expended but thirteen bullets altogether on
them. The teeth will weigh nearly five hundred pounds, and so I think I
have a good excuse for coming late to supper. But now, good-night. We
must be up early, and so sleep is good for a steady hand in the morning,
and we shall want it, for game is near and plentiful. Good-night, and
sleep well."

CHAPTER TWO.

FOLLOWING THE ELEPHANTS--CUTTING OUT THE TUSKS--HUNTING THE HERD OF
ELEPHANTS.

The sun's rays had scarcely commenced illuminating the eastern horizon,
when the hunters were up, and making their preparations for the start.
The plan of hunting which they had adopted, was to enter the country
with waggons, oxen, and horses; to leave their waggons at a good
outspanning-place where there was plenty of water and forage for the
cattle; then to scour the country round and search for game, or spoor,
which if found, the horses, oxen, and waggons were brought up, and the
elephants hunted on