ated
that his men should be responsible for them.

Large fires were lighted, and the Caffres and Hottentots, all mingled
together, were busy roasting, boiling, and frying the flesh of the
hippopotamus, and eating it as fast as it was cooked, so that they were
completely gorged before they lay down to sleep; Wilmot had also given
them a ration of tobacco each, which had added considerably to the
delight of the feast.

"It is not bad eating by any means," said the Major, as they were at
supper.

"No; it is something like old veal," replied Swinton. "Now, what is
Omrah about? He is after some mischief, by the way he creeps along."

"A monkey is a fool to that boy," observed the Major, "and he appears to
know how to imitate every animal he has ever heard."

"Did you hear the dance he led some of the Hottentots on Sunday evening,
when we were at the Mission?"

"No; what was that?"

"Bremen told me of it; I thought he would have died with laughing. You
are aware that there is a species of bird here which they call the
honey-bird,--by naturalists, the _Cuculus indicator_; do you not
remember I showed you a specimen which I was preserving?"

"You have showed us so many specimens, that I really forget."

"Well I should have given you at the same time the natural history of
the bird. It is very partial to honey, upon which it lives as much as
it can; but as the bees make their hives in the trunks of old decayed
trees, and the hole they enter by is very small, the bird cannot obtain
it without assistance. Its instinct induces it to call in the aid of
man, which it does by a peculiar note, like cher-cher-cher, by which it
gives notice that it has found out a beehive. The natives of Africa
well know this, and as soon as the bird flies close to them, giving out
this sound, they follow it; the bird leads them on, perching every now
and then, to enable them to keep up with him, until it arrives at the
tree, over which it flutters without making any more noise."

"How very curious!"

"Little Bushman knows this as well as the Hottentots, and hearing that
they were going out in search of honey, he went before them into the
wood, concealing himself, and imitating the note of the bird so exactly
that the Hottentots went on following it for several miles, wondering
how it was that the bird should lead them such a distance, but unwilling
to give up the pursuit. About sunset, he had brought them back to the
very edge of th