"You're a diplomat of the first water," said Jack, "and have mistaken your vocation. Instead of hunting big game in South Africa, you should be representing your country in a foreign capital, where difficult questions are often arising."
I thanked him for the compliment, and explained that my desires did not run in that direction. I had been offered a diplomatic appointment, which I declined, partly because I had no taste for the life, and partly in consequence of the feeling that I was not fully adequate to the duties of the position. "And speaking of diplomacy," I added, "shall we do any hunting this afternoon?"
As I asked this question Mirogo appeared at the door of our tent and announced a herd of elephants—a small herd—about two miles to the eastward.
"There's the answer to your question." said Harry, as he rose from the table and reached for his rifle.
"Yes, that's the answer," said Jack; "no necessity for any further talking."
In a few minutes we were off for the chase, which I will not describe, as it would be a practical repetition of previous elephant-hunts. We each bagged an animal, and all three were good ones—that is, they had good tusks.
The next day we sent our manager to the ladies' camp. He returned with the report that our friends were pretty well recovered from the shock they had received during the buffalo-chase, and with the statement, by way of postscript, that they would be pleased to see us at any time when we chose to call. They did not think they would go out hunting for the next two or three days, and if we made a visit within that time we would be pretty sure to find them at home.
Needless to say, we made it in our way to call there the next day. We were intending to pursue the buffaloes, and had a cold luncheon with us; but they pressed us so hard that we remained to luncheon, and, in fact, remained so late that we postponed our buffalo-hunt until the following day.
We remained in that region a fortnight and more, dividing our time between hunting the various kinds of game which abounded there, calling every few days at the ladies' camp, and receiving occasional prearranged visits from Mrs. Roberts and Miss Boland about luncheon-time. Needless to say, we became well acquainted, and the acquaintance ripened into friendship, and, in certain quarters, into love. We arranged that the next time we made a move we would go in company and form our camps more nearly together.
I had a large map of South Africa—the best I could find in Durban—and we studied it a good deal to determine where we would next go. We also obtained all the information possible from the natives; but such information, except as concerned the immediate neighborhood, was never reliable and always exaggerated. If you ask a question of a Kafir or a Zulu, and he knows the correct answer, he may possibly give it to you; if he does not know it he will give you the first that his imagination suggests, and he generally endeavors to make it of a pleasing character.