HUNTING AND HUNTED IN BELGIAN CONGO 



giant leaves in which to bear away the spoil. Every one 

 shouts and quarrels, huge strips of flesh are flung to the 

 women and children, who delight in paddling in the warm 

 blood, yes and drinking it from the hollow of their hands. 

 All around lie baskets of still steaming flesh, for the body 

 is yet warm with life during this wild orgy that fills 

 one with a sickly feeling as one watches the fiendish, 

 grunting, shouting, and maddened people who have 

 taken leave of their senses at the sight of food. Now and 

 again a spear or knife flashes in the faint streak of sun- 

 light that penetrates the great roof of foliage overhead, 

 for one fellow has in his greed trespassed close to another 

 equally eager butcher, who, mad with the sight and taste 

 of blood, and in his savage lust for flesh, slashes at the 

 other with the keen edge of the spear or knife. In a 

 few hours the spot is trampled down, with the grass dyed 

 a dull red, the blood squelches underfoot as we approach 

 the remnants of the great frame, the bones of which are 

 scraped dry and white ; but we stand our distance, for 

 nature's scavengers are hovering around eagerly watching 

 for their opportunity to swoop down on the few small 

 lumps that have been forgotten, and lie half covered in 

 the dripping grass. The very intestines have been carted 

 away, and the natives are settled round the fires in the 

 village toasting the flesh or eating it raw until they can 

 swallow no more, and, with bellies distended, the}' lie 

 down and sleep. The fires that glimmer faintly in the 

 soft breeze of the early hours before the dawn, and the 

 great piles of grey ashes, are all that remain to tell of 

 the orgy of the previous night. 



In some cases the natives, on observing a herd in the 

 valley or other suitable grass country during the dry 

 season, set fire to the grass and timber all around. The 

 elephants, terrified, bunch together and circle round, 

 falling victims to the rushing wall of fire that bears down 

 upon them from all sides. 



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