The sun had not risen very high before the hunting party was astir and preparing to return to the kraal. The head of the elephant was left where it was to decompose, which, under such a sun, it would not take long doing, when the tusks could easily be removed. It may appear strange that so valuable a portion of the animal should be left unguarded in the bush; but there is a great amount of honour between Kaffir hunters, and each strictly respects the mark of the other. The Kaffir whose property they had become by right of the first wound-- though the chief being present I found they were to be presented to him--was a great hunter, as could be seen by the leopard tails which formed his aprons and the teeth of wild beasts of which his necklaces and bracelets were composed; for in Caffraria, if a man wants to dress in these much-prized ornaments, he cannot purchase them, but must first slay their natural possessors. So proud is the hunter of these trophies of his prowess, that he will rarely part with them save to his chief or the exacting witch-doctor. On nearing the kraal I remarked a sudden change in my companions' manner, which I could not but attribute to the appearance of, or signs made by, some Kaffirs who stood at the entrance to the huts, evidently watching for our return, for no sooner did we come in sight than they advanced towards us. As they approached, I saw that they were divested of all ornaments, while they wore the oldest aprons and karosses they possessed. Guessing there must be some cause for this, I awaited the result with much curiosity. The two parties had now advanced near enough to exchange sentences, and no sooner were the first uttered than a mournfully dolorous cry arose from the hunters, who frantically began tearing off their ornaments, even to the Chief Metilulu, who, instantly taking the lead, hurried on as fast as his obesity would permit. Remembering how the Jews of old, on the illness or death of those dear to them, rent their garments and cast dust upon their heads, I could not help fancying that this removal of all decorations, accompanied by the cries of sorrow, must be occasioned by the same cause, and making my way to Tugela, I put the question as to the reason of the sudden change in the hunters to him. He answered that during our absence Anzutu had been taken much worse, and was not expected to recover. He told me this in a round-about way, for the Kaffir avoids the word "death" as an Englishman might the plague, and it is not considered etiquette to mention it ever in a chief's presence. Though a Kaffir has no idea of time, and regards his life as not his own, but his chief's, who may order his execution at, any moment he please yet they, greatly dread death when it comes naturally, and would give anything, to conceal those precursors to old age--grey hairs.