Indian
file, for hunger began to remind them that the sun was past the
meridian, and thus a slice from an antelope or an eland would not be
objected to. It was not long before an eland and her calf were seen
reclining beneath some acacia-trees; and the plan being arranged, the
pair were soon surrounded, when the hunters, closing in, rendered their
escape impossible, and both were shot by the hungry travellers. The
elephants, having been feeding for some days in this neighbourhood, had
deposited the fuel for a fire, which, dried by the sun, ignited rapidly,
and in a few minutes was blazing beneath the strips of alternate fat and
lean, which had been strung on two or three ramrods. And thus, in less
than an hour from the sighting of the elands, their flesh was being
eaten by the sportsmen, who, provided only with a paper of salt and a
clasp-knife, were yet able to make an excellent dinner, which was washed
down with some of the water from the stream, flavoured by a dash of
brandy from the flasks carried by each hunter. It was near sunset when
the party reached their waggons; but orders were given to inspan the
oxen before daybreak, to have the horses ready, and to prepare for an
early "_trek_" towards the clear stream and luxuriant forest in which
the elephants had been hunted.

"There," said Hans, "we have good water, plenty of wood and other stuff
for fires, game in abundance and so we shall have nothing to do but eat,
drink, sleep, and shoot; we shall kill the game that will yield us
money, and so we need have no care. A hunter's life is happy, and who
would not be a hunter? Can you believe it, that Karl Zeitsman has gone
down to Cape Town to write in a shop or something, because he wants to
make money? Why our fore-looper's life is a better one than his; and as
to ours, one day in the veldt after game is worth a year in a town,
where all is dirty, smoky, and bad. There is nothing like a free life,
Bernhard, is there? and elephant hunting is the very best of all.
Good-night, and sleep well, Bernhard," said Hans as he crawled into his
waggon; and, undisturbed by the roars of a distant lion, or the snores
of his companions, he slept soundly and peacefully till near daybreak.

CHAPTER FOUR.

SEEKING THE DEAD ELEPHANTS--AMBUSCADE OF THE MATABILI WARRIORS--ESCAPE
OF HANS STERK AND HIS PARTY--BATTLE WITH THE MATABILI--THE SLAUGHTER OF
SIEDENBERG.

"The waggons can follow," said Hans; "that will be best. The