272 ADVENTURES OF AN ELEPHANT HUNTER ch. 
stakes along that path in the immediate neighbour¬ 
hood. Should any of these stakes penetrate his 
foot, it would mean farewell to his hunting and his 
women, whom he loved as only a hunter can, and 
he was, he added, in no hurry to leave this enjoyable 
world at present. 
Makakora, I may mention, had four wives, the 
favourite among whom he pointed out to me on 
several occasions. She was a Mwera woman, and 
after the manner of most women of that tribe, wore 
a large ivory ring in her upper lip, which caused 
that lip to protrude in a most unsightly way, about 
two inches at right angles to her face. 
‘ That is the one woman for me! ’ he used to say, 
with pride. ‘ She is an excellent cook, makes the 
best beer in the country, and works assiduously in 
my garden. She is old, no doubt, while my other 
wives are young, but my young wives do not count ; 
for they are simply waiting for me to die so that 
they may seek the arms of their younger lovers. 
Fickleness is in their blood; it is in the blood 
of all young women. But their future husbands 
are welcome to them—-I have had their early 
love.’ 
When on my way down to the coast, homeward 
bound, on this last occasion, Makakora made a two 
days’ journey to bid me farewell, bringing along 
with him two of his young wives, carrying food for 
