“But, say, Dad,” came from Bob, “where did that bullet strike? It didn’t smash his face.”
“That’s part of the trick of shooting,” laughed Mr. Lewis. “Howard saw its eyes in the darkness, and so aimed below at the body.”
The animal was carefully skinned and the skin placed in preservative. Then, this task being over, they sat idly around the fire and chatted merrily.
At frequent intervals they could hear cries of wild animals, including the trumpeting of elephants and the mournful groan of hyenas. Once they heard a horrid growl that Mr. Lewis said was made by a leopard.
Despite the clamor of the African night, Bob and Joe slept soundly and awoke the next morning greatly refreshed.
“Drink deeply of this cool air,” said Mr. Lewis, stopping for a moment at the boys’ tent. “Along towards noon, as you already know, the sun will be far too hot for comfort.”
The natives were astir, attending to the many tasks that went with breaking camp. Breakfast was at once followed by pulling up the stakes, folding the tents, and loading the provisions and other articles in their proper places on the backs of the bearers.
Soon the expedition was again penetrating deep into the dense jungle. Although the traveling was necessarily slow, every hour saw them a little nearer the unknown Forest of Mystery.
Along towards noon Noko called a halt. It was wholly unwise to continue in the terrific noonday heat of Africa. They stopped at a little open space which was devoid of vegetation except for tall grass.