up again,
would have escaped into the bush, when a second ball from Wyzinski's
rifle stopped it. The deer proved to be a fine buck, of an ashy grey,
with long horns like a goat, of a yellowish brown colour. The horns at
first when starting from the head trended directly backwards, and then
curved forwards, the tips being very pointed. The legs were remarkably
short for a deer, and it could not be very swift on land, for, added to
the shortness of limb, the girth round the carcass was very large. The
dead buck measured nearly eleven feet in length, and ten in
circumference.

"What a beautiful spot!" remarked Hughes, towards three o'clock in the
afternoon. "The green bank slopes down to the water's edge, and the
turf, dotted with its clumps of palmyra, acacia, and date-trees, looks
for all the world like a gentleman's park. Behind rises the forest,
where we can suppose the baronial hall to lie, and in the distance the
lofty range of the Nyamonga mountains. We only want the lodge gates to
complete the picture."

"You are a bad auctioneer, Hughes," laughed his comrade; "you have
omitted the greatest charm. I mean the river, with its beautiful reeds
waving in the breeze, its magnificent water-lilies, and the flocks of
wild duck floating in and out."

"Some of them are really very beautiful, and I never saw any like them.
Look at that lot sailing away before us, their necks, backs, and throats
a beautiful orange, while the head is glossy black. They must be
splendid divers, and what a rate they go at."

"I never saw ducks before," replied the more scientific missionary,
"possessing the power of partially submerging themselves; only the head
and top of the back is above water as they paddle along. Steer the
canoe in shore, there are quantities of wild duck there."

"But not the same sort; see, the head is brown, beautifully pencilled
with black," said Hughes, as they all ceased rowing, and the boat, left
to the current, glided among the broad leaves of the water-lilies, "the
body and wings the same, while a deep yellow ring runs round the neck.
There they go," he continued, "spattering along the water, just like
water-hens, and then diving."

Floating slowly on, the canoe entered a little bay, where a quantity of
drift wood had accumulated. "Only look, Hughes; why there are hundreds
of them feeding apparently on insects found on the floating wood," cried
Wyzinski.

"Again another species, for these are of