d here on the
rich deep ground brought down by the rivulet were the cultivated lands,
in extent somewhere about twenty or twenty-five acres. On the kraal side
of these lands stood a single hut, that served for a mealie store, which
at the moment was used as a dwelling-place by an old woman, the first
wife of our friend the head man.

"It appears that this lady, having had some difference of opinion with
her husband about the extent of authority allowed to a younger and more
amiable wife, had refused to dwell in the kraal any more, and, by way
of marking her displeasure, had taken up her abode among the mealies. As
the issue will show, she was, it happened, cutting off her nose to spite
her face.

"Close by this hut grew a large baobab tree. A glance at the mealie
grounds showed me that the old head man had not exaggerated the mischief
done by the elephants to his crops, which were now getting ripe. Nearly
half of the entire patch was destroyed. The great brutes had eaten all
they could, and the rest they had trampled down. I went up to their
spoor and started back in amazement--never had I seen such a spoor
before. It was simply enormous, more especially that of one old bull,
that carried, so said the natives, but a single tusk. One might have
used any of the footprints for a hip-bath.

"Having taken stock of the position, my next step was to make
arrangements for the fray. The three bulls, according to the natives,
had been spoored into the dense patch of bush above the kloof. Now it
seemed to me very probable that they would return to-night to feed on
the remainder of the ripening mealies. If so, there was a bright moon,
and it struck me that by the exercise of a little ingenuity I might bag
one or more of them without exposing myself to any risk, which, having
the highest respect for the aggressive powers of bull elephants, was a
great consideration to me.

"This then was my plan. To the right of the huts as you look up the
kloof, and commanding the mealie lands, stands the baobab tree that I
have mentioned. Into that baobab tree I made up my mind to go. Then
if the elephants appeared I should get a shot at them. I announced my
intentions to the head man of the kraal, who was delighted. 'Now,'
he said, 'his people might sleep in peace, for while the mighty white
hunter sat aloft like a spirit watching over the welfare of his kraal
what was there to fear?'

"I told him that he was an ungrateful brute to think of