et, the last of the bulky figures had
disappeared among the foliage.

"Now lie down and sleep;" said Kobo, "no more animals to-night."

The boys complied, and lying down among the bushes which grew here and
there between the masses of rocks, were soon buried in slumber. They
were awakened by Kobo at daybreak; and having eaten their breakfast, and
taken a dip in the tarn, which by this time had recovered its
translucent clearness, announced to Kobo that they were ready to take
the field.

They accompanied the Bechuana accordingly, as he proceeded cautiously to
follow the track left by the herd on the previous evening, for half a
mile or so through the bush. Then desiring them to climb two trees of
some size, which stood on either side of the path in the heart of the
woodland--an acacia and a motjeerie--he crept on alone through the
shrubs, making his way as secretly and noiselessly as a snake, and soon
vanished from their view.

Presently he reappeared, with the information that the herd were
browsing at the distance of a few hundred yards only, and seemed to have
no apprehension of danger. Chuma, however, and the other hunters would
now soon make their appearance from the opposite side, and would
doubtless attack the bull elephants with their assegais, their tusks
being a valuable prize. Kobo told them that they could not do better
than remain where they were. The elephants would almost certainly be
driven past the tree in which they lodged, and so give them the
opportunity they desired of trying their skill as marksmen. There were
other trees, he said, at no great distance which were larger, and
therefore safer, but the elephants might never come near them at all;
whereas, in their present position, they were almost sure to see what
passed.

"All right, Kobo," said Frank, "we'll stay here and take our chance.
After all, it must be a jolly big elephant that would bowl this tree
over."

Kobo again vanished, and the boys sat on the tiptoe of expectation for
the next hour or so, but without hearing any sound at all except the
song of the birds and the buzzing of the insects. Suddenly, however,
there broke forth a Babel of discordant sounds. The yells of the
Kaffirs--as advancing at the same time from different quarters, they
assailed the elephants with their assegais and arrows--were overpowered
by the trumpeting of the huge brutes, and the crash of the thorn and
seringa bushes, which gave way on every side