udging from their primitive
digging implements, they're going to make an elephant pit."

"You bet!" cried the boys. Slipping from their horses, which were left
in charge of Gholab Singh, all three joined the natives, who received
them with delight, and all set off along an old elephant track.

"Guess they think we'll bring 'em good luck," grinned Jack. "Got your
camera, Chuck?"

Charlie fortunately had brought it, and an hour later he put it into
active operation, to the curiosity and childish amusement of the
negroes. They had stopped in a little open space full of fresh spoor and
elephant signs, and a score of natives were instantly at work clearing
off the ground at three points. The boys were amazed at the rapidity
with which the work was accomplished with the primitive implements.
Chanting a loud, monotonous chorus, the natives threw themselves into
the work and speedily had three pits started. These were about four feet
wide and twelve long at the top.

"It's against the law for them to kill elephants," said Schoverling,
"but they pay little enough heed to that. There are hundreds of these
pits scattered between here and Kenia."

"How do they watch them all?" asked Charlie. "They must have an awful
time keeping track of their trap-line!"

"They don't watch them," laughed the explorer. "They wait till they see
the vultures and jackals heading somewhere, and trail along. An elephant
lives for days after he is trapped, for you'll see that the pits narrow
down at the bottom, and his feet are wedged in so that he can't move."

"He must be pretty ripe by the time they get to him," returned Jack
disgustedly.

"They don't care for that. These Ndorobo are little better than carrion
feeders anyway, and once an elephant is caught a whole village is
stocked in meat for a long time."

As the holes were dug deeper, others of the natives carried off the
dirt, scattering it carefully in the depths of the jungle. The boys
secured some excellent views of the proceedings, but they were unable to
remain for the entire digging. The finished pit would be about ten feet
in depth, and at the bottom scarcely a foot wide. Fortunately for white
hunters these pits were not staked, as after a week or two the slight
covering of sticks, leaves and dirt is overlaid with vines and
vegetation that completely conceals it from sight. Indeed, they had
passed more than one pit on their way.

A guide was sent back with them when they left t