ON THE KAMBUKENAAR RIVER. iSi 



for I could plainly see his head over the thorns 

 halt among the smoke. His trunk, which had been 

 curled up out of harm's way, was down now, and I 

 guessed he was up to mischief, so fired. With another 

 scream he dashed on, as I knew, to turn his attentions 

 to me. However, he surprised me after all, for though 

 he could not come direct through the thorns, he did 

 find a short cut, and burst out within a few yards before 

 I had finished reloading. Sin 'Appu coolly handed 

 me the other rifle, and took the open one, but the 

 time was so short that I believe I must have fired 

 both barrels at a range of less than four yards. A 

 blow from his shoulder or forefoot sent me spinning, 

 upsetting Sin 'Appu in my fall, but the rogue never 

 paused. Charging through the smoke, he made off. 

 We had just about picked ourselves up, and reloaded 

 the rifles, when, to my joy, Will and his man appeared 

 following up the tracks. 



"What a brute!" he said. " He was on me like 

 a shot. Before I could change rifles he had knocked 

 us both flying, and was standing between us, feeling 

 for me in the smoke. I was trying to reload without 

 his hearing me when you fired. You all right ? " 



" Right as a trivet, bar a bruise or two. Neither 

 bones nor spectacles broken. So let's get on, and 

 keep together in future." We had rather a weary 

 tramp, though, before we saw the rogue again. Five 

 bullets in the head afterwards counted had made 

 him pretty sorry for himself. When we did get to 

 him at last, he summoned up resolution to charge, 

 but it was only a half-hearted attempt, for a barrel 



