34 Seven Years in the Soudan.

CHAPTER V.

HUNTING.

Two celebrated hunters — Nine elepliants killed — The Burdeen goes to Gondokoro — On the Bahr-el-Ghazal — Plundering — "We kill four buffaloes — My Reilly rifle — Diflicult navigation —Hip})0-potami — One wounded — Tliirtj-seven great elephants — Twentytluee blacks assassinated — Flight — Mushra-el-Kek — Hunt with Anson and Haggi — Kempt and Gigler — Letter from Gordon — Enormous hippoi)otamus killed.

The two brotliers Duma live in a village of the interior five days' journey from Kaka. Their father had left them a modest fortune in oxen, but they had no inclination for a pastoral life. Their ruling passion and daily occupation was hunting and fishing. Grradually they disappeared from the village, whither the} only returned last year after an absence of seven years. In the other villages, the brothers always found an enthusiastic welcome, the people knowing that, where they were, meat Avas never wanting. Both were strong-limbed and of uncommon agility, and generally joined the ivory merchants, who had to pay them a percentage on' the elephant tusks according to the weight. When an elephant rushed upon them they calmly awaited him, and at the right moment leaped to one side. The elephant, not being able to arrest his course all of a sudden, turned towards one of the two brothers while the other plunged his lance into his side. The animal then quitted the first to fall upon the man Avho had wounded him, and the other cutting the tendons of the hind legs, the elephant fell to the ground. Once,