The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1919-12-13

totally bare in spots and breaking on
In others into thorn thickets or case.
OF thick brush. Farther upstream was
Forest Of high straight trees, mucf
higher than the tembas. but INLAND
this towering growth suddenly fell t.
a low level Of bush that cut a gray
line along the horizon. The band OF
gray was broken here and there by
the black dome of tree.
Msungo followed the direction OF
Ahdreas eyes. THAT long gray patch
he said, that's elephant bush but
Lord knows when Wen get there"
The wizened men led them upstream
ana soon they were in the deep shade
OF the high forest, but not for long
In ten minutes they traversed it, for
It was nothing but tongue, n long
screen extending from elephant bush
10 river. Scarcely had they left IFS
shelter when the three hunters paused
and with them Msungo. Andrea
pressed forward.
The soggy ground was peck marked
with great holes of varying sizes the
smallest foot in circumference. the
largest. three. Females and young
sters." murmured M'sungo in explana-
tion. "all trash He stood quite still.
his eyes travelling rapidly over a wide
radius, pausing suddenly when the
tracker thoughtfully touched grass
blade with his toe or another boy sol
EMMY measured a spoor with his feet
placed one ahead of the other. looked
up inquirngly and retired i'm confusion
mt the kindly sneer on the faces of the
hunters.
why are you waiting2" asked An
Urea impatiently.
M'sungo flashed look at her.
"WaitingT' he whispered. Were not
waiting. Every man here, according
TO his lights, is reading. You saw
that cheeky gunbearer measure a
spoor and tfnen withdraw with hang
dog look. He thought he had spotted
n male bull. He has made himself
ridiculous for year. Tonight you'll
hear the camp telling the joke on him
over and over again. But the tracISer
touches blade of grass bent one way
with his toe and presently you'll see
him with twig broken In the oppo-
site direction. There he goes now.
He looks as If he were day-dreaming,
doesn't hep
Andrea nodded.
well, he isn't" continued M'sungo.
"By now he has read the whole story.
He knows how many females made
this mess Of trail and how many
young. He knows when they came
and when they went. He could all In
their stay with dozen incidents, each
one complete In Itself, such as where
a youngster slipped, fell, sQuealed and
got spanked by his mother. But such
of details impress them
selves only on his subconscious mind.
In reality his whole attention is fixed
On the main chance. BY the season of
he year he knows that this herd Is not
alone. The track of the
males is nearby. If we didn't have
he three old hunters we would go up
he bank Of the river until we struck
t, but we don't have to because they
'ound it by chance this morning at the
irst streak of dawn"
While he talked, the tracker stud
ed. the three wizened sat aloof. taking
'nuff. Now, at nod from M'sungo.
hey arose and proceeded swiftly
lIong the margin of the big trees.
they swerved to the left aid
plunged through underground to-. a
path. In the fine dust
If that runway Andrea saw the iden-
ical monster spoor that the old black
lad drawn with his finger on the
.round beside her breakfast table.
Another halt was called. The, track
II squatted by one spoor and then an
,ther. He held up three fingers.
"AIl males?" said M'sungo.
The tracker nodded.
"Big onesY said M'sungo, with that
of exaltatiOn.
The boy grinned.
M'sungo touched the edge of the
mighty spoor with his toe. 'M'culo?"
"Stalecka murmured the tracker.
nd rolled his eyes up into the trees.
"He says it's whopper," whispered
I'sungo, and promptly went into ac
ion. He took off his jacket and jer- {
ey, rolled up his sleeves and frightened (
is belt, The tracker stripped to his +
and took from one of the (
,izeped a slender-shafted assegai. |
he three old hunters laid aside the /
flies they had been carrying and the
unbearers quietly picked them up.
M'sungo turned to Andrea. Get on /
he donkey he ordered. When she |
ras mounted her eyes were on level /
18th his own. Listen" he raid. I
You'll ride now. because when we
trike the bush you can't. Please lis
en-. because from now until the kill /
obody Is going to speak to you and
you should say word out l,ud you
tight get six inches of spear in the I