With several minutes to the good, Colonel Narfield's party arrived at Sibenga's Kraal, for although the chief was dead the village still went by the same name until Logula had fully established his claim to the chieftainship.
There was no lack of evidence of the destructive visits of the three elephants. Acres of maize and millet had been trampled down; the palisade surrounding the village had been uprooted in several places, leaving gaps ten or twelve yards in length; while in two instances the huts had been levelled to the ground.
Most of the inhabitants, including all the women and children, had fled for safety to the summit of a lofty crag about two miles away, but Logula had carried out Colonel Narfield's instructions and had gathered together twenty young warriors.
Of these, ten were selected to act as torch-bearers, the remainder having to be in attendance with their spears in case they were attacked. The natives were all excited, their fears being to a great extent banished when they found that the Great One and his companions had arrived with their death-dealing rifles.
Leaving the horses at the village, the Colonel's party set out. Van der Wyck and Colonel Narfield led, followed by Colin and Tiny and the inseparable Tenpenny Nail and Blue Fly, while the natives flocked in the rear.
There was no difficulty in following the spoor. The ground was somewhat marshy, and in places the massive feet of the elephants had sunk inches deep in the soft soil.
One thing was evident. The animals had wandered into a sort of natural cul de sac between two ridges of precipitous rock, the bottle-neck opening into a wide track of reed-covered ground nearly five miles in length and averaging three in breadth.
At the entrance to this trap some of the natives were told to build a barrier of fire and to take good care to keep it well alight. Before the march was resumed, the hunters had the satisfaction of seeing a wall of flame blazing fiercely and completely sealing the only exit possible for the huge, ferocious beasts.
"You are sure that there is no way out at the other end?" inquired Van der Wyck.
"The natives say not," replied Colonel Narfield. "Of course, I know that telling lies is, with them, as easy as winking when it serves their purpose. But we're doing them a good turn, so it's to their advantage to speak the truth."