176 
SPORT AND WAR. 
CHAP. XX. 
and almost in a state of nudity rushed to the post for 
the protection of the other sex. No wonder there was 
a commotion in the fort; for the native women, like 
ostriches, fancy that when their heads are covered no 
one can see the remainder of their proportions. Every¬ 
one looked scared, and the cry was ‘Elsie, Elsie! ’ But 
no Elsie appeared, and it was evident that the cry 
meant that this not 4 fairest of the fair ’ but 4 yellowest 
of the yellow ’ had been taken by the spirit. 
Immediately a discussion arose as to what was best 
to be done. I, however, started off as hard as I could 
to the river, and there I found the poor creature still, 
apparently, struggling with the spirit. I had to 
plunge into the river and bring her to the shore. 
Whether it was that the Water Spirit did not like 
gentlemen I cannot tell, but after I got the damsel 
out of the water the turmoil in the river ceased and the 
expanse became as smooth as ever. I was puzzled what 
to do. I was in an awkward position, with the Hotten¬ 
tot Venus glaring at me with the eyes of the spirit. 
Luckily the 4 wise women’ of the post were approaching, 
forbidding the more impressionable ones to continue 
their wailing, and they soon relieved me of the 4 possessed 
one,’ as they would persist in calling her. Certainly as 
far as her intellect was concerned she was possessed, for 
in the short space of time she had become raving mad, 
and, as the wise women said, all owing to the Water 
