Page 96 - Adventures in Africa

looking closer I discovered that it was of a pure white

silky substance like paper> and that it formed the
door to a hole. On trying to lift it up I discovered
that it was fastened by a hinge on one side* and on
turning1 it over upon the hole it fitted exactly— the

upper aide being covered with earth and grass, so
that, had it not been for the circumstance that the
inmate had been out, I could not possibly have

detected it. Jan said it was the hole of a spider,
probably the creature I had seen engaged in seeking
its prey.
While encamped that night, I heard the crashing

of heads and horns. Jan told me it was caused by a
troop of buffaloes who were fighting. Presently a
loud snorting and puffing reached our ears. The

uproar increased, and he declared that the noise was
produced bv rhinoceroses and buffaloes quarrelling.
My fear was that In their heady fight the animals
might comc our way and trample over us, or per­

haps the rhinoceroses would attack our poor ox, who
was but ill able to defend himself.
While I was looking out beyond our camp-fire I

caught sight of a herd of elephants, the huge males
going first, followed by the females, on their way
down to a large pool where they were going to “drink,
I followed them cautiously until they entered the

water.
Having satisfied their thirst, they began throwing
it over themselves and disporting in the eooL element,

gambolling and rolling about like a party of school­
boys bathing. As I could not have carried away
their tusks, I did not attempt to shoot one but left