Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1920-02-20

totally bare in spots and breaking out
in others into thorn thicketS or Gases
of thick brush. Farther upstream was
forest of high straight trees, much
higher than the tembas, but inland
this towering growth suddenly fell to
a low level of bush that cut gray
line along the horizon. The band of
gray was broken here and there by
the black dome of tree.
M'sungo followed the direction of
Andrea's eyes "That long gray patch, "
he said, that's elephant bush, but
Lord knows when we'll get there
The Wizened men led them upstream
and 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 a tongue, a long
screen extending from elephant bush
to river. Scarcely had they left its
shelter when the three hunters paused
and with them M'sungo. Andrea
pressed forward.
The soggy ground was pock-marked
with great holes of varying sizes the
smallest foot in circumference, the
largest three. Females and young
STEERS" murmured M'sungo in expIana-
ton, "all trash" He stood quite still,
his eyes travelling rapidly over wide
radius, pausing suddenly when the
tracker thoughtfully touched a grass
blade with his toe or another boy sol
emnly measured a spoor with his feet
placed one ahead Of the other, looked
up inquiringly and retired in confusion
ut the kindly sheer on the faces Of the
hunters.
''Why are you waiting?" asked An
drea impatiently.
M'sungo flashed a look at her.
"Waiting?" he whispered. "We'rs not
waiting. Every man here, according
to his lights, is reading. You saw
that cheeky gunbearer measure a
spoor and then withdraw with hang
dog look He thought he had spotted
a male bull. He has made himself
ridiculous for year. Tonight you'll
hear the camp telling the joke OH him
over and over again. But the tracker
touches blade of grass bent one way
with his toe and presently you'll see
him with a twig broken in the oppo-
site direction. There he goes now.
He looks as If he were day-dreaming,
doesn't he?"
Andrea nodded.
swell, he isn't" continued M'sungo.
"By now he has read the whole story.
He knows bow many females made
this mess Of a trail and how many
young. He knows when they came
and when they went. He could fill in
their stay with dozen incidents, each
one complete in itself, such as where
youngster slipped, fell, sQuealed and
got spanked by his mother. But such
trimmings of details impress them
selves Orgy on his subconscious mind.
In reality his whole attention is fixed
on the main chance. BY the season of
the year he knows that this herd is not
travelling alone. The track of the
males is nearby. If we didn't have
the three old hunters we would go up
the bank of the river until we struck
it, but we don't have to because they
found it by chance this morning at-the
first streak of dawn"
While he talked, the tracker stud
led, the three wizened sat aloof, taking
snuff. Now, at nod from M'sungo,
they arose and proceeded swiftly
IL 10 of ho tn
Presently they swerved to the left and
plunged through underground to a
well-marked path. In the fine dust
Of that runway Andrea saw the iden-
teal monster spoor that the old black
had drawn with his finger on the
ground beside her breakfast table,
Another halt was called. The track
err squatted by one spoor and then an
other. He held up three fingers.
''All males?" said M'sungo.
The tracker nodded
big ones?" said M'sungo. with that
half-smile of exaltation.
The boy grinned.
Msungo touched the edge of the
mighty spoor with his toe. "M'culo?'
'Stalecka !" murmured the tracker.
and rolled his eyes up into the trees.
HE says it's whopper," whispered
M'sungo, and promptly went into ac-
ton. He took off his jacket and jer-
sey, rolled up his sleeves and frightened
his belt The tracker stripped to his
breech-clout and took from one of the
wizened slender-shafted assegai.
The three old hunters laid aside the
rifles they had been carrying and the
gunbearers quietly picked them up.
Msungo turned to Andrea. Get on
the donkey" he ordered. When she
was mounted her eyes were on level
with his own. ''Listen," he raid.
you'll ride now, because when we
strike the bush you can't. Please lis
ten, because from now until the kill
nobody is going to speak to you and
if you should say word out loud you
might get six inches of spear in the
excitement of the moment"
Go ahead; | won't speak" said An
tlrea, and pressed her lips together.