Part 18 (2/2)
”Yes, I think they did All savages fight well; there is no want of courage ast them; and when they are assured by their prophets that bullets won't touch theht like deuns without fear or hesitation The Amakosa, however, fear the Zulus, and have an idea that the Zulu is brave and very strong This is because the Zulus drove the Fetcani down the country fro a lesson from the Zulus, drove the Aht the aid of the English against these invaders, whom they then defeated”
”Most of those who now claim portions of the country seem to have won it from some one weaker than themselves,” said Hans ”We lost the country we had won, and the Kaffirs seereat part of it I hope we shall never lose Natal”
”Natal is too far away to h if people kne fine a place it was, they would couese never took possession of it, as they have Delagoa Bay close to it”
”They have enough land there, and don't want more, so I have heard,”
replied Hofman ”They send parties to hunt elephants near this Did you see any spoor to-day, or do you think your elephants had been hunted lately?”
”No, un was, but they did not seeh they ran at first, they soon stopped again, and I thus shot my first elephant on foot”
”To-morroill collect our ivory, and we ame, for the elephants will trek from here We shall have much work, so ill do well to sleep now”
With this parting advice Hof that was followed by all the other hunters, and the camp was soon in a state of repose The horses were fastened to the waggon wheels, the oxen tied to stakes driven into the ground, and thus prevented frory lion or hyena, and with but few exceptions every huhtly even when tired, and the oxen or horses soon give an alarer threaten
By the aid of their Hottentots and Kaffirs, the hunters had cut out all the tusks fro carried to the waggons, were placed therein, each owner'scut on the tusk After a hastythe afternoon, and return before sundown to a new outspanning-place which had been agreed upon Soround was seen from a hill, and which lay in the north-easterly direction This country was not at all known by the hunters, and, in fact, to this day it is not well explored
Two parties were formed, one of which was to take the more easterly direction, and then to return by a southerly course; the other to take the more northerly, and return by a westerly and southerly course Thus the whole country would be hunted thoroughly Hans and his two companions took theBernhard and Victor
”I knoe shall get ivory down by that dark-looking forest,” said Victor, as he pointed to a distant slope on which were masses of trees
”Elephants will be found there, if there are any about”
”It looks good elephant ground,” said Hans; ”and it will be well to try it There is none better looking round about”
”It was unlucky you lost your far-seer, Hans; that would have told us what game there was about us”
”Yes, it was unlucky; but let us dismount, and let our horses feed awhile, whilst we look closely over the country I can recognise an elephant a long way off, if I take ”
The hunters dis their horses, sat quietly exa the distant country for several th said Hans ”Coood; look in a line with that distant pointed tree; look at that third cluster of forest trees, and on the right side there is an elephant Watch, and you will see him move”
”I see him now you have pointed hiht be a buffalo or rhinoster”
”No, an elephant is more square than either, and does not look so pointed; it is an elephant, too, by the way it turns We shall have et to those elephants
We ought to drive theo round from the other side, and that will make our ride six miles at least; so we had better let theallop after a six-rass”
”The country would be fine for elephant shooting about here The loose sharp stones dae their feet, and they would rush froet shots from the saddle; don't you think so, Hans?” asked Bernhard
”Yes, we should be very successful here, and I think our trip altogether will be a lucky one When we return, we shall have plenty of dollars'
worth of ivory, and I shall then be quiet for a while”