in TOUCH AND GO 37 



appendage is merely covered with a short, barely 

 perceptible down. I still retain this freak tail 

 as a memento, and shall be delighted to show 

 it to anyone who may be interested. 



Early next morning, with the assistance of my 

 boy, Tumbo, I photographed the elephants, and, 

 setting out in a maschilla, a species of portable 

 hammock, rigged up out of my blankets, I 

 arrived at my camp just as night was falling. 

 Never was return more welcome, and the picture 

 that met my gaze as we approached is still vivid 

 in my mind's eye. The greenish canvas of my 

 tent gave a curious illusion of faint luminescence 

 in the dusk ; above it, in the sky, hung the golden 

 sickle of a young moon, and on the horizon, as 

 if tangled in the branches of a tree, there flashed 

 that glorious jewel of the tropical heavens 

 the Southern Cross. Here and there, about the 

 dark shadows of the huts, burned fires, round 

 which sat or reclined the shapes of men, women, 

 and children, some in silhouette, some lit up by the 

 ruddy flames. The low hum of their conversa- 

 tion, every now and then broken by a hearty 

 laugh or a snatch of crooning song, came to our 

 ears, and, all of a sudden, on becoming aware 

 of our return, a wild commotion, and loud, wel- 

 coming shouts. Next moment, a crowd of eager 

 chatterers had surrounded us, and were excitedly 



