62 AFRICAN CAMP FIRES. 



eight serious-minded individuals herded by the 

 second mate. They were armed to the teeth, 

 and thoroughly equipped with things I had seen 

 in German catalogues, but in whose existence I 

 had never believed. A half-dozen sailors eagerly 

 helped them with their multitudinous effects. 

 Not a thought gave they to the fact that we were 

 ten miles off the coast, that we gave no indication 

 of slackening speed, that it would take the rest 

 of the day to row ashore, that there was no cape 

 for us to round, that if there were oh ! all the 

 other hundred improbabilities peculiar to the 

 situation. Under direction of the mate they 

 deposited their impedimenta beneath a tarpaulin, 

 and took their places in solemn rows amidships 

 across the thwarts of the boat slung overside. 

 The importance of the occasion sat upon them 

 heavily ; they were going ashore in Africa to 

 Slay Wild Beasts. They looked upon themselves 

 as of bolder, sterner stuff than the rest of us. 



When the procession first appeared, our cow- 

 boy's face for a single instant had flamed with 

 amazed incredulity. Then a mask of expres- 

 sionless stolidity fell across his features, which 

 in no line thereafter varied one iota. 



" What are they going to do with them ? " 

 murmured one of the Englishmen, at a loss. 



