mountain down which a rivulet flowed. The kloof was densely wooded, but
for some distance above the kraal it was free from bush, and here on the
rich deep ground brought down by the rivulet were the cultivated lands,
in extent somewhere about twenty or twenty-five acres. On the kraal side
of these lands stood a single hut, that served for a mealie store, which
at the moment was used as a dwelling-place by an old woman, the first
wife of our friend the head man.

"It appears that this lady, having had some difference of opinion with
her husband about the extent of authority allowed to a younger and more
amiable wife, had refused to dwell in the kraal any more, and, by way
of marking her displeasure, had taken up her abode among the mealies. As
the issue will show, she was, it happened, cutting off her nose to spite
her face.

"Close by this hut grew a large baobab tree. A glance at the mealie
grounds showed me that the old head man had not exaggerated the mischief
done by the elephants to his crops, which were now getting ripe. Nearly
half of the entire patch was destroyed. The great brutes had eaten all
they could, and the rest they had trampled down. I went up to their
spoor and started back in amazement--never had I seen such a spoor
before. It was simply enormous, more especially that of one old bull,
that carried, so said the natives, but a single tusk. One might have
used any of the footprints for a hip-bath.

"Having taken stock of the position, my next step was to make
arrangements for the fray. The three bulls, according to the natives,
had been spoored into the dense patch of bush above the kloof. Now it
seemed to me very probable that they would return to-night to feed on
the remainder of the ripening mealies. If so, there was a bright moon,