I90 A HUNTER'S WANDERINGS ch. 



rapidly in our direction, and a few minutes later their 

 occupants were standing beside us. All four of these 

 men I at once recognised, as they had followed me 

 for meat during my preceding trip up the river in 

 July. One of them had only one eye, the other, 

 with the greater part of the flesh from that side of 

 his face, having, according to him, been torn out, 

 when a boy, by a hyasna. I should say he had not 

 been a beauty to begin with, and his misfortune had 

 certainly not added to his attractions. These men 

 expressed themselves as very pleased to see me again, 

 saying that all the people in the marsh were on the 

 look-out for me, as they had finished the meat of 

 the seven elephants I had shot them last month, and 

 hoped I had now returned to again make them 

 happy with a fresh abundance of fat flesh. 



After a few inquiries as to the whereabouts of 

 the elephants, they informed me that there were 

 some on an island far out in the marsh, to which 

 they wished to take me ; and as nothing pleased me 

 better than the prospect of penetrating into this 

 interesting and unknown country, I at once acceded 

 to their proposal, and agreed to wait where I was 

 till the following day, when they promised to return 

 with a sufficient number of canoes and men to carry 

 my whole party and traps across the marsh. That 

 night I retired to rest with a light heart, building 

 all sorts of castles in the air. A troop of lions 

 passed up the river soon after the moon rose, 

 roaring magnificently, at one time being not a 

 hundred yards from our camp. 



A little before noon the following day my one- 

 eyed friend and his comrades arrived, bringing with 

 them thirteen canoes, each manned by two natives. 

 They said that to get to the island where the 



