he following morning we left the village at daylight, each one carrying about twenty pounds of boiled smoked elephant meat. We were soon in the forest, and tramped and tramped along without seeing any game. Towards four o'clock we met a great many fresh elephant tracks. The animals seemed to be just ahead of us. The footprints after a while began to be so plentiful that evidently there had been several herds of elephants. At about five o'clock we came to a beautiful prairie which seemed like a lovely island on that big sea of trees. There were many fields of plantain-trees along the borders of the forest, growing in the midst of trees that had been felled and burned.
Okili said to me: "We have seen, Moguizi, many elephants' tracks on our way here. I am almost certain they will come here to-night, for they are fond of plantains."
So we resolved to go no further that day, for we were on good elephant-hunting ground, and made preparations to spend the night on the border of the forest and wait for the huge beasts. We only spoke in whispers, for we thought the elephants might not be far off.
Okili then said, pointing to a spot where the forest advanced on the prairie, forming, so to speak, a cape:
"It would be wise, I think, for some of us to go to that place, for there also is another large field of plantain-trees, and the chances are that some of the elephants will go there, for there are very many."
Then Ogoola, pointing to another field of plantain-trees south of us, said, "To make sure, some of us ought to go there also."
We all assented.