Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-07-08
CHAPTER xu-Continued.

Farther upstream was a forest of
high straight trees, much higher thar
the tembas, but inland this towering
growth suddenly fell to a low level of
bush that cut a gray line along the
horizon. The band of gray was brok-
en- here and there by the black dome
of a tree.
M'sungo followed the direction o.
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 up
stream and oon they were in the deer
shade of the high forest but not for
long. In ten minutes they traversed
it for 1t 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. An.
drea pressed forward.
The soggy ground was pock-marked
with great holes of varying sizes; the
smallest a foot in circumference, the
largest, three. Females and young
sters,' murmured M'sungo in explana.
ton, "all trash" He stood quite still
his eyes travelling rapidly over a wide
radius, pausing suddenly when the
tracker thoughtfully touched a grass
blade with his toe or another boy
solemnly measured a spoor with hi:
feet placed one ahead Of the other
looked up inquiringly and retired II
confusion at the kindly sneer on the
faces Of the hunters.
Why are you waiting?" asked An.
drea impatiently.
M'sungo flashed a look at her.
Waiting" he whispered. Were no,
waiting. Every man here, according
to his lights, is reading. You saw thai
cheeky gunbearer measure O. spoor
and then withdraw with a hang-doe
look. He thought he had spotted q
male bull. He has made himself ri.
diculous for a year. Tonight you'll
hear the camp telling the joke on him
over and over again. But the track.
er touches a blade Of grass bent one
way with his toe and presently your
see him touch a twig broken in thu
opposite direction. There he zoei
now. He looks as If he were day.
dreaming, doesn't he?"
Andrea nodded.
well, he isn't" continued M'sungo
by now he mas read the whole stroy.
! He knows how many females made
young. He knows when they came
and when they went. He could fill il
their stay with a dozen incidents, eacf
one complete in itself, such as where
Ia youngster slipped, fell, squealed ant
got spanked by his mother. But suct
trimmings Of details impress them,
selves only on his subconscious mind
In reality his whole attention is ,,xec
on the main chance. BY the season O,
the year he knows that this herd I,
not travelling alone. The track of tn.
males is near-b by. If we, didn't have
the three old hunters, we would 20 ur
the bank OF the river until we struck
1t, but we don't have to benuse the,
found 1t by chance this morning n
the first streak Of dawn"
While he talked and the trackel
studied, the three wizened sat aloof
taking snun. Now. at a rod from
M'sungo. they arose and proceedet
swiftly along the margin of. the biz
trees. Presently they swerved to the
loft and plunged through under,
growth to a well-marked path. In tn,
fine dust OF that runway Andrea AZ
the identical monster spoor thar the
lcld black had drawn with MS finee,
lon the ground beside her breakfas1
table. -"
Another halt was called. The track.
er squatted by one spocr and then an,
lother. He held up three fingers.
All males" asked M'sungo.