you'll
stick some o' the hunters in the dark," said Hockins, rising, for just
then there was a stir in the camp as if preparation was being made to go
out.

A few minutes later and Laihova came to them with the news that he had
heard the chief say they were getting ready, as it was necessary to make
a long round through the woods to get well to leeward of the cattle.

This process of getting ready consisted in every man stripping and
washing himself all over in order to get rid of the smell of the smoke
of their huts. Even the guests were obliged to conform to the custom.
Then they set off in profound silence, every man being armed with a
couple of spears, excepting the guests, who were allowed only one spear
each, it being feared that if they carried two they might chance to
rattle them together and thus alarm the game, for the kind of cattle
they were about to attack are exceedingly active and suspicious--always
on the alert, continually snuffing and snorting at the bare idea, as it
were, of an approaching enemy. Unlike the tame cattle of the island,
these animals have no hump, but strongly resemble the ordinary cattle of
England, save that their horns are shorter and their bellowings deeper.
They are, however, very savage, and when wounded or annoyed are apt to
attack their enemies with terrible ferocity.

To Mark Breezy and his companions the expedition proved to be full of
excitement, for, apart from the novelty of the situation, and
uncertainty as to what lay before them or was expected of them, the
extreme darkness of the night, and the quick silent stealthy motion of
the almost invisible hunters, filled their minds with--if we may say
so--awfully pleasurable anticipations!

The whole band followed their chief in single file, and as he was
intimately familiar with the topography of the region, the only anxiety
of each man was to tread carefully in his footsteps.

As for Ebony, his whole soul and spirit were in the enterprise, as well
as his black body, and the varying expression of his mobile features
would have charmed the heart of a physiognomist, had such a man been
there with light enough to enable him to see. As there was no
physiognomist, and no light, the reader must fall back on imagination.

Intent on carrying out his pre-arranged plans, our negro walked close
behind the chief--so close indeed, that he inadvertently brought his
spear down rather heavily on the left shoulder of that fiery person