Part 9 (1/2)

CHAPTER VII

CRITCH'S RHINO

”Are we going to have a hunt?” asked Burt as they left the hill and plunged forward into the jungle again at the head of the caravan

”Not to-day,” laughed Mr Wallace ”We won't get out of this till night, e?”

”Hardly,” replied Montenay ”Once we get out o' this thick jungle and up to those plains we'll have clear sailin' I'le there, ht we'll be in more decent veldt-country I'rassy space clear of trees As Captain Mac had predicted, the low andinto the higher lands These were scattered with patches of dense forest and jungle, but there were also great plains or veldts covered with gaun-boys earn their pay,” said Mr Wallace the next

”We'll shoot half a dozen antelope every day to give the bearers rimly added Captain Mac as he held up his hand for silence ”Hear that?”

All listened It seemed to Burt and Critch that in the distance sounded a faint mutter of far-away thunder, and they looked at the older hed Mr Wallace shortly ”If we only had ponies we'd land hi had been discussed but the explorer had vetoed it finally ”It would only be an experiht work but not in the Congo We have tooto death in a day or two”

Three or four of the Bantu hunters were sent ahead, and toward noon, as they approached a little rise, one of these ca to Captain Mac, who translated

”Get your guns! They've located a herd of wildebeest an' hartebeest just ahead”

The boys excitedly took their second-weight guns frouns were not needed for the antelope They all e of John, and after a half hour reached the crest of the rise, wading through the deep grass and bush

Here the Bantus rass ahead of theasp of surprise Before the without thought of danger were hundreds of antelope-like aniht spiral ones As Burt watched the with feverish excitement

”Keep cool, lad!” whispered Captain Mac with a slight sht? Take the bull hartebeest Ready, Wallace?”

Mr Wallace and Critch had selected their aniave the word and all fired together Burt saw his bull give one tremendous leap and fall Critch, who had fired at a small bull, had poorer luck, for his anione in an instant Both Montenay and Mr Wallace had dropped hartebeest bucks, and the bearers were jubilant as all ran down the hill

”Now, Critch,” said Mr Wallace, ”it's up to you! You boys stay here with the blacks and we'll go back and bring on the porters and the salt

Keep the heads of that hartebeest of Burt's and mine We don't want to fill our empty chop-boxes too fast”

As the tin-lined chop-boxes were eame and were thus doubly useful The Bantus took out their knives and while Burt transmitted in French the orders of his chum they set to work Mr Wallace and Montenay returned toup the caravan, whose advance was necessarily slow

The skilled blacks first removed the two heads and skinned the and cut up the three bodies to serve as rations for the porters while the boys stood looking around thereat herds had bounded off at the volley, they had only gone a mile or tay and in the thin clear air seelued to his glasses for a few ht, slinking through the grass As jackals are invariably destroyed wherever seen he called Critch and took a gun frorabbed up one of the heavy Winchesters in his haste

”Co him”

Not far from the jackal was one of the tall hills made by the white ants As these are hard as rock and often eight or ten feet high they un and ran after Burt hastily

When they reached the ant hill they located the jackal in a patch of brush below them Only his head was visible, but the two boys aiot him in the eye!” cried Critch as they ran toward the spot

”Got a dandy bead on him”