3 o ADVENTURES OF AN ELEPHANT HUNTER CH. 



from the rope-like stems, we applied the sections 

 to our baked lips and greedily sucked the 

 deliciously cool, watery juice. Again and again 

 we cut and drank ; it seemed as if we should 

 never thoroughly slake our thirst ! Our next 

 move was to appease the gnawings of hunger. 

 A glorious moon had now risen and hung low 

 and large, silvering each twig and spray with 

 ghostly light, and making of the jungle a web 

 of vein-like shadows. By its beams we could 

 see to collect fuel, and coming across some dry 

 branches of the mangu tree, set to work to 

 light a fire. Cutting a hole in a flattened piece 

 of the dry branch, Simba inserted a rounded 

 stick of the same wood into the aperture and 

 twirled it rapidly round and round, the resulting 

 friction causing sufficient heat to smoulder a 

 portion of my shirt which I had frayed for the 

 purpose. Gathering some dry leaves and twigs, 

 we soon had a roaring blaze, over which we 

 quickly toasted choice bits of elephant's heart. 



A right hearty meal we made, and following 

 up the repast with another long draught of the 

 ntamba creepers, we lazily stretched ourselves 

 beside our fire to dream of some privileged 

 hunt with Diana and her Nymphs. 



Next forenoon, we reached the Mbemcuru River 

 where we found the remainder of our party awaiting 



