ied meat and polished bones.

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO.

DRIVEN AWAY.

Four days after the unsuccessful attempt to capture the young giraffes
in the hopo, the spoor of others were found on the river-bank.

Another herd of camelopards had made a home in the forest of
_cameel-doorn_. Some of the herd were young. This was evident from the
spoor.

The hopes of Groot Willem, that he might succeed in accomplishing his
dearest wishes, were again high and strong; and his companions were no
less enthusiastic.

Another attempt to fulfil their mission might be successful.

If so, Hendrik and Arend within a few weeks would be in the society of
those of whom they were hourly thinking, and Hans would be making
preparations for the long-contemplated visit to Europe.

The chief Macora had not shown the least inclination to abandon them on
the failure of the first attempt. He had promised his assistance until
the object they desired should be obtained; and, although domestic and
political duties called him home, he stated his determination to stay
with them.

His promise had been given to Willem, and everything was to be
sacrificed before that could be broken.

For his devoted friendship the hunters were not ungrateful. They had
learnt by this that without his assistance they could do nothing.

On the evening before the day intended for the second trial of the hopo,
the giraffe hunters, in high spirits, were sharing with the chief their
last bottle of Schiedam, as a substantial tribute of respect to the man
who had made their wishes his own.

While indulging in pleasant anticipations of the morrow, their designs
were suddenly upset by a communication from Sindo.

He had but just returned from a journey to the north,--to the place
where he had found a home after being banished by Macora,--to the tribe
which owned for its chief him whose horses had been shot by our hunters.

Sindo's visit had been a stolen one, for the purpose of bringing away
his wife and children. In this he had been successful; but he had also
succeeded in bringing away something more,--information that the Zooloo
chief, that our young hunters had offended, was still thirsting for
revenge for his losses and disappointments.

He had seen Moselekatse, the tyrant-king of all that part of Africa, and
had informed him that the Makololo chief, Macora,--his old enemy,--had
returned to his former home, and had robbed a friend of the noble chief
Moselekats