with watchful sentinels on the
look-out. The next morning a council was held, from which my youth
excluded me; but we were soon informed, that our elders had determined
that we should retreat fifty or a hundred miles up the river, not (as
they were very particular in declaring) that they had any fear of the
enemy themselves, but on account of the number of young ones in the
herd, who, by wandering to a distance from the rest, would run great
risk of sharing the fate of poor Brisk. So, after waiting three or four
days for our wounded companion to recover a little, we set off on our
journey, keeping near the banks of the river, for the sake of the canes
and the opportunity of bathing. On the second day, coming to a narrow
part of the river, we determined to cross it as a greater security. It
was so shallow, that most of us could walk on the bottom with our
trunks raised above the surface of the water to breathe through, but
the very young ones either swam or were helped over by their mothers.

When we were all collected together, we heard a loud shout from the
opposite bank of the river, and lo! there were our enemies again, eight
in number, mounted on horses, and with their long steel lances
glittering in the sun. They had no doubt been following us closely all
day, looking out for stragglers. Some of our company who had complained
bitterly of our leader's strict discipline in obliging us to march in a
close body, now began to look rather silly. In a few minutes, another
horseman who appeared more heavily laden than his companions rode up to
them, and, oh! sight of horror! from his saddle were hanging a pair of
tusks, which no doubt a few days before had adorned the head of the
unfortunate Brisk!

After looking at us for some time, one of the hunters, more courageous
or more foolish than his companions, rode into the river as far as his
horse could go without swimming, till he was nearly half-way across,
and then, for the first time in my life, I had a fall view of the human
form and countenance.

Never before had I seen such a ridiculous object as this hunter, who
was pronounced to be an Englishman by some knowing ones in our company.
He was larger, certainly, than our amusing friends the monkeys, but his
pale face was not half so agreeable and intelligent, and as he sat on
his horse with his long thin legs dangling in the water, he looked so
disappointed and miserable, that, forgetting for a moment his villanous
cr