t and squares of hide
for shields, with large bundles of hippopotamus skin for whip-making,
together with the various spoils of the chase. Last but not least were
numerous leathern pots of fat that had been boiled down from elephants
and hippopotami.

The camels were to return as soon as possible with supplies of corn for
our people and horses. Another elephant-hunter was to be sent to us in
the place of Jali, but I felt that we had lost our best man.

CHAPTER IX.

Fright of the Tokrooris--Deserters who didn't desert--Arrival of
the Sherrif brothers--Now for a tally-ho!--On the heels of the
rhinoceroses--The Abyssinian rhinoceros--Every man for himself.

Although my people had been in the highest spirits up to this time, a
gloom had been thrown over the party by two causes--Jali's accident and
the fresh footmarks of the Bas-e that had been discovered upon the sand
by the margin of the river. The aggageers feared nothing, and if the
Bas-e had been legions of demons they would have faced them, sword in
hand, with the greatest pleasure. But my Tokrooris, who were brave in
some respects, had been so cowed by the horrible stories recounted of
these common enemies at the nightly camp-fires by the Hamran Arabs, that
they were seized with panic and resolved to desert en masse and return
to Katariff, where I had originally engaged them, and at which place
they had left their families.

In this instance the desertion of my Tokrooris would have been a
great blow to my expedition, as it was necessary to have a division of
parties. I had the Tokrooris, Jaleens, and Hamran Arabs. Thus they would
never unite together, and I was certain to have some upon my side in a
difficulty. Should I lose the Tokrooris, the Hamran Arabs would have the
entire preponderance.

The whole of my Tokrooris formed in line before me and my wife, just as
the camels were about to leave. Each man had his little bundle prepared
for starting on a journey. Old Moosa was the spokesman. He said that
they were all very sorry; that they regretted exceedingly the necessity
of leaving us, but some of them were sick, and they would only be a
burden to the expedition; that one of them was bound upon a pilgrimage
to Mecca, and that God would punish him should he neglect this great
duty; others had not left any money with their families in Katariff,
that would starve in their absence. (I had given them an advance
of wages, when they engaged at Katariff, to provi