| than a man for short sprints and
turn quickly. This one has a damaged leg, so he can not run or turn on the hunter!" The last he declared as a challenge, raising his voice. Now he hurried on, excitement building, "We can dig a pit in the soft sod near the lake, and then worry him into it as jackals or hyenas would, using spears and arrows to tire and drive him." His eyes searched the faces of the men sitting around the rim of the bowl. His voice asked, "Well?" Everyone was for it. Not only would the tusks bring wealth but also great renown to those who won such a trophy. The Buganada leaping to their feet, saluting Kalala with their spears. Ndair was left to watch the elephant. A herd might range far in a days span, needing up to five hundred pounds of feed to sustain a single member. A lone animal like this one, lame, and |
with feed within his reach would not wander far.
To avoid alerting the bull, they loped along the base of the western side of the grass
matted slopes, traveling northeast parallel to the lakeshore. After about two miles Kalala
led them up over the intervening slope and down the eastern side through the hedge to near
the waters edge. There, using his spearhead, he marked out a rough square, fifteen
feet on a side. "Ddara," Kalala called to one of Asara clan warriors. "Take two men and cut branches from that acacia tree to use in the digging." The Chwezi pointed to a tree some thirty feet from where they were standing. Ddara nodded, tapped the two men nearest him on the shoulder and they loped over to the tree. "Mluasi," Kalala said to another man, "with knifes cut away the sod from what I have outlined. All of you help him," pointing to all but two of the remaining men. |