THE MYSTIC DICK. 31 1 



and more apparent on the trees and in the earth, and 

 late in the afternoon we reached ground where a largtj 

 herd of cows had fed that morning. Here we had a 

 short check, when Mutchuisho rated the trackers for 

 their negligence; and, having dispatched parties to try 

 back upon the spoor, and extended others to make casts 

 on our right and left, he leisurely ensconced himself be- 

 neath a shady tree, and proceeded, along with several 

 of his cronies, to enjoy the luxury of taking snufF, 

 which important ceremony having been duly perform- 

 ed, they began with the utmost gravity to smooth a 

 portion of the ground before them, preparatory to cast- 

 ing the mystic dice which most of the Bechuanas carry 

 strung around their necks. These dice, which are of 

 sundry indescribable shapes, are formed of ivory, and 

 the Bechuanas invariably appeal to them before enter- 

 ing upon any project of importance, to ascertain the 

 probability of its ultimate success. Having unstrung 

 the dice, which are four in number, they rattle them 

 between their hands, and drop them on the ground, 

 when the long-headed old men carefully study the di- 

 rections of the points, and decide the merits of the case 

 accordingly. 



In the present instance the dice spoke favorably, au- 

 guring the speedy capture of an elephant ; and one of 

 the trackers at this moment coming up, and stating 

 that his comrades had regained the spoor, we sprang to 

 our feet and again held on. We had proceeded about 

 half a mile when we suddenly beheld a herd of about 

 twelve old cow elephants, some of which were accom- 

 panied by little calves, feeding high on the side of the 

 rocky mountain, about five hundred yards to our right. 

 The intervening ground was a dense and almost im- 

 penetrable mass of wait-a-bit thorny bushes, averaging 



