Neither the direction taken by the Leopard Woman's safari nor the
immediate surroundings of the night's orgy over the rhino carcass was
desirable. The fact that the big water-hole below camp had not only
remained unvisited, but apparently even desired, led him to deduce the
existence of another, alternative, drinking place. He had yesterday
explored some distance downstream; therefore he now turned up.

Simba with the big rifle followed close at his heels. The six porters
stole along fifty yards in the rear. They were quite as anxious for meat
--promptly--as anybody, and were as unobtrusive as shadows.

For upward of a mile the hunters encountered nothing but a few dik-dik and
steinbuck--tiny grass antelope, too small for the purpose. Then a shift
of wind brought to them a medley of sound--a great persistent barking of
zebras supplying the main volume. At the same time they saw, over a
distant slight rise, a cloud of dust.

Simba's eyes were gleaming.

"Game! Much game there, _bwana!_" he cried.

"I see," replied Kingozi quietly.

The porters accompanied them to within a few rods of the top of the rise.
There they squatted, and the other two crawled up alone.

Below them, probably three hundred yards away, was a larger replica of the
other water-hole. At its edge and in its shallows stood a few beasts. But
the sun was now well above the horizon, the drinking time was practically
over.