THE GOOD NEWS. 185 
So we raised our guns and fired right into its ear. 
Malaouen’s gun gave a fearful recoil that almost knocked 
him down. I thought it had burst. All became silent. 
The elephant’s ears and trunk dropped down, there was 
no more moaning; death had done its work. 
Like almost all the people of his tribe, he carried an 
axe with him; a creeper was cut down, and tied to a tree 
near by to serve as a ladder, and Malaouen dropped down 
into the pit. He had thrown his axe first and then descend- 
-ed; and as he stood on the elephant, how small he looked 
by the size of the huge beast! Then he cut the end of his 
tail, which is made of very coarse and very dark bristly 
hair ending in a tuft, and came up again. Joy filled his 
heart as we set out for the camp, and next for the village. 
As soon as the news spread, we were received with 
wild demonstrations of joy. They were going to have a 
nice time. They were going to have plenty of elephant 
meat to eat. The children were also glad. Ican assure - 
you that a big elephant forms a large mass of flesh, and 
would help to pretty well fill a butcher shop. Then the 
news came that in a neighboring village, not far from 
_ ours, three elephants had been killed. Iwas quite aston- 
ished, for the animals are not plentiful in the region I was 
in; but I was obliged to believe the report when I saw 
the three new freshly-cut tails of the elephants. One was 
given to me afterward, and a splendidsthing it was to kill 
the nchouna, the ibolai, and the iboco flies. 
T just came into the town when the ceremonial dance 
was about to be performed which precedes the division 
of the elephant meat. This is a thank-offering to two 
spirits, Mondo and Olombo, who seem to have a presiding 
influence over the hunt. 
