We shouted back, "We have killed the big bull elephant."
We embraced one another, and shouted in the wildest manner, "We are men! We are men!" Then they all danced round the bull elephant, and exclaimed, "You wanted to kill our people; you charged them, but you got killed instead." And they had a war-dance round the dead animal, after which we went to their camp and saw the two cow elephants. They danced round them, after which they cut a piece off each elephant, and took these into the wood and left them there upon large leaves, for the spirits Mombo and Olombo, who ruled over the hunting, to feed upon.
One of the bull elephant's tusks weighed sixty-nine pounds, the other one sixty-one. The four tusks of the cow elephants weighed one hundred and eleven pounds.
The following morning, Mbango, Macondai, Niamkala, and Fasiko left us to go back to the village to fetch people to carry the elephant meat and the tusks of ivory.
After they had left, we eagerly followed the tracks the elephants had made during their flight. For hours we followed these. Fortunately Okili was well acquainted with this part of the forest. A number of peculiar-shaped trees were his landmarks. During the day we crossed over several hunting-paths.
"The elephants must have gone far away," said Okili. "Their leader, the big bull elephant we have killed, is not with them to direct them. The other bull elephants in the herd were too young. Some big bull elephant will scent them, and then become their leader. We had better leave their tracks and follow one of the hunting-paths. I know the path will lead us to the place where we are to meet Ogoola and Niamkala."
We slept in the woods, surrounded by big blazing fires. The following day, towards evening, after walking without intermission for twelve hours, with the exception of half an hour for our noon meal, we reached the shore of a little river, and came to the big koola-tree where we were to meet Ogoola and Niamkala. Okili and I were delighted to see so many koola nuts on the ground, for both of us were very fond of koola nuts.
We built our camp at some distance from the big koola-tree, and lighted big fires, then lay upon our backs and put the soles of our sore and lame feet as near the fire as we could. It is wonderful how this great heat takes away the soreness.
The next morning I thought I would take a stroll by myself and look for elephants, as Okili was not feeling very well.