, for
which he received a buffet on the ear, and an order to keep further
back. In other circumstances the plucky spirit of Ebony would have been
roused to indignation--perhaps to retaliation; but a sense of justice
was strong in that negro's breast. Overwhelmed with shame at his
clumsiness, and eager to rectify the error--yet not daring to speak, for
silence had been strictly enjoined--he raised the spear over his
shoulder and turned the point backwards, thereby bringing it down on the
head of the man in the rear.

Doubly shocked at this, he raised his weapon to the perpendicular, and
knocked some tropical bird violently off the lower branches of a tree.
It fluttered screeching to the ground, and bounced angrily into the
bushes.

The whole band of hunters came to a sudden and breathless halt, but no
word was uttered. In a few moments the chief resumed his silent march,
and the ghostly column moved on--Ebony, greatly subdued but by no means
crushed, keeping his weapon at such a slope as would prevent its doing
damage to birds above or men below.

Thus they proceeded for nearly an hour, at the end of which time they
could hear the wild cattle roaring and bellowing not far-off.

When the hunters had got completely to leeward, and were beginning to
draw quite near to the feeding-ground, they advanced with increased
caution, and some of the men began to pull the tops of the grass with
their hands, as they went, in order to mimic as nearly as possible the
noise made by an ox grazing.

The instant this sound reached the ears of the cattle they became
absolutely silent, neither bellowing nor feeding! It was evident that
they were listening with the utmost attention. Understanding this, the
hunters stood quite still, without a whisper, but a few of those who
were adepts at the art continued their imitation of cropping the grass.
After listening for a time the animals appeared to arrive at the
conclusion that it was a false alarm, for they re-commenced feeding, and
the hunters continued their stealthy approach.

Soon they came to the thinly scattered shrubbery which marked the
termination of the woods and the beginning of the plain. And now,
profoundly dark though the night was, they could faintly perceive the
forms of their game looming black against the dark sky beyond--
themselves being quite invisible, however, owing to their background of
forest.

Nearer and nearer the men moved, still cropping the grass as t