HUNTING AND HUNTED IN BELGIAN CONGO 



had long since parted company with the rest of the 

 structure. The ashes of a fire lay scattered within a few 

 feet of the pile, and pointed to a cannibal raid of some 

 time ago, for long since elephants had left their mark 

 in the tall grass that now grew all over the one time well- 

 trodden ground between the huts. 



At this period Monica was wearing an old pair of 

 puttees that I had given him, and I had cause to regret 

 my generosity, for he had not yet discovered how to bind 

 them round the leg, consequently every now and then 

 the safari suddenly came to a halt : I would investigate 

 the cause, to find Monica calmly adjusting his puttees 

 while the carriers, glad of an excuse to put down their 

 loads, would prepare for a rest by the way. Now this 

 sort of thing became rather trying to the nerves after 

 a time, so I made him walk just in front of me. Sometimes 

 the puttees would come undone and he would walk with 

 six or eight feet of puttee trailing behind him, which, 

 becoming entangled in the grass or bush, would pull him 

 up short and nearly throw him to the ground. Presently 

 he found out that they would serve more purposes than 

 that for which they were made : to-day he would wind 

 them round his body, to-morrow he would wear one 

 thrown across his shoulder like an officer's sash, and the 

 other tied round his fez cap like a puggaree. 



Matakanga hit upon a novel idea. He cut up his 

 grass sleeping mat, and with some grass cord tied a 

 piece on each leg like a shin guard. The wear and tear 

 caused by constantly coming in contact with the grass 

 on the path soon gave these improvised leg protectors 

 the appearance of having frills around the edges. It is 

 astonishing how soon leggings and puttees wear away 

 when travelling through a grass country. Personally I 

 do not favour puttees when hunting big game, short 

 stout grass or stubble gets entangled in the folds and 

 is likely to cause no little delay, and if you have to do 



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