ive young
warriors, not one of whom could have been over thirty years old. The
horn of the leading hunter sounded merrily as he blew his ringing blasts
of adieux, while the party dived into the depths of the gigantic
corn-stalks, and their friends at the village listened long and
attentively, until the horn could be no longer heard.

Kalulu had a couple of broad-bladed spears, and half-a-dozen assegais,
much lighter than spears, with long flexible shafts, besides a bow and a
quiver pack-full of arrows, which was slung over his shoulders.

Selim, radiantly happy, walked next to Kalulu, as the path was so narrow
that but one could walk at a time on the smooth, hard road, and carried
his own gun--the "gun from London," which Kalulu had found among the
plunder, with its own special ammunition. It was probably a fine "Joe
Manton" as the barrels were of fine steel, short, of large bore, and a
heavy price had been paid for it by Amer bin Osman through his Bombay
agent. It was one of those fortunate accidents that occur sometimes.
Olimali might have had the gun, had not Ferodia, seeing its great beauty
and superiority, specially reserved it for a present to Katalambula; and
the king not caring, or not having any use, for it, had placed it among
his treasures in his store-room; and Selim, accompanying Kalulu to the
store-room, as a privileged brother, to pick out a gun, suddenly saw the
beautiful little masterpiece of the English gunmaker, which his father
had presented him with, and with which he had shot the greedy crocodile
on the Lofu, while his sharp teeth were lacerating his slave Mombo's
leg. Could anything have been more fortunate? "Impossible!" thought
Selim, as he had hastened to secure it, with the ammunition and the
percussion caps. "Impossible!" thought he now, as he strode on after
Kalulu, laughing and chatting gaily, and sometimes turning round to
Simba and Moto with a gay remark, which permitted them to see his
bright, happy face and sparkling eyes.

Simba had his own bright-barrelled gun, which he had as yet never parted
with, besides a ponderous spear, which might have made Goliath of Gath
faint with the carrying of it.

Behind Simba strode nimble-footed Moto, who also had his own gun,
besides a couple of long keen-pointed spears.

Behind Moto strode the Watuta hunters, one after another, some of them
armed with shields, besides their handfuls of spears and quivers fall of
arrows.

Merriness is wha