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 
