272 AFRICAN ADVENTURE STORIES 



side of the hut, asleep or dozing; the elephant 

 rifle stood by his side. The other guard was 

 about ten feet away, with his back to the hut. 

 Barrett cautiously reached out and drew the 

 rifle to him. For a long time the active sentry 

 walked back and forth past the entrance; occa- 

 sionally he stopped and gazed about. Barrett, 

 crouching in the shadow inside, waited for him 

 to come within reach. 



It was fully half an hour before he came 

 close to the door and, turning, stood with his 

 back toward the entrance, not six feet away. 

 Instantly Barrett sprang forward and dealt 

 him a stunning blow over the head with the 

 rifle. He sank to the ground like a stone, 

 and the repeater fell from his hands. Barrett 

 snatched it up, wheeled about, and found that 

 the other man had been awakened by the 

 scuffle and was on his knees fumbling about 

 for his missing weapon. Barrett swung at him, 

 but the guard dodged the blow and darted be- 

 hind the hut. 



Barrett was half-way to the entrance of the 

 kraal before the frightened savage regained his 

 wits and began to yell. As Barrett pulled 

 away the brush that at night always blocks 



