For a moment they hesitated, then they came on again with a hideous clamour.

Fortunately by this time Indaba-zimbi, who also had a gun, was standing by my side, otherwise I should have been torn to pieces before I could re-load.

He fired both barrels into them, and again checked the rush.

But they came on again, and notwithstanding the appearance of two other natives with guns, which they let off with more or less success, we should have been overwhelmed by the great and ferocious apes had I not by this time succeeded in re-loading the elephant gun.

When they were right on us, I fired, with even more deadly effect than before, for at that distance every slug told on their long line.