LITMIR.BIZ

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ready to take that risk.’

      So Mato, rather reluctantly, told Akimbo about a man in the village whom everyone thought was dishonest.

      ‘If I had something stolen which I wanted to sell,’ he said, ‘I’d go to him. He’s called Matimba, and I can show you where he lives. But I’m not going into his house. You’ll have to go in on your own.’

      Matimba was not there the first time that Akimbo went to the house. When he called an hour later, though, he was told to wait at the back door. After ten minutes or so the door opened and a stout man with a beard looked out.

      ‘Yes,’ he said, his voice curt and suspicious.

      ‘I would like to speak to you,’ Akimbo said politely.

      ‘Then speak,’ snapped Matimba.

      Akimbo looked over his shoulder.

      ‘I have something to sell. I thought you might like it.’

      Matimba laughed. ‘You sell something to me?’

      Akimbo ignored the laughter.

      ‘Yes. Here it is.’

      When he saw the ivory tusk sticking out of the top of Akimbo’s sack, Matimba stopped laughing.

      ‘Come inside. And bring that with you.’

      Inside the house, Akimbo was told to sit on a chair while Matimba examined the tusk. He looked at it under the light, sniffed it, and rubbed at it with his forefinger. Then he laid it down on a table and stared at Akimbo.

      ‘Where did you get this?’ he asked.

      ‘I found it,’ said Akimbo. ‘I found a whole lot of tusks. And some rhino horns.’

      At the mention of rhino horns, Matimba narrowed his eyes. These horns were much in demand among smugglers, and could fetch very high prices on the coast. If this boy has really got some, Matimba thought, I could get them off him for next to nothing.

      ‘Where did you find them?’

      ‘In a hiding place near a river. I think they must have been hidden there by a poacher who got caught and couldn’t come back for them.’

      Matimba nodded. This sort of thing did happen, and now this innocent boy had stumbled across a fortune. He looked at the tusk again. He would give him some money on the spot and promise him more if he took him to the rest.

      ‘You did well to come to me. I can buy these things from you.’

      Akimbo drew in his breath. Now was the time for him to make his demand.

      ‘You can have them. I don’t want money for them.’

      Matimba was astonished. He looked again at the boy and wondered whether there was something wrong with him.

      ‘All I want is to become an elephant hunter. If you let me go off with some poachers – to learn how they do it – I’ll show you where I have hidden the tusks and horns.’

      Matimba was silent. He stared at Akimbo for some time, wondering whether to trust him. Then his greed got the better of his caution. He granted Akimbo’s wish. After all, boys thought poaching was exciting. Well, let him learn.

      ‘You may go with my men,’ he said.

      Akimbo felt a great surge of excitement. Matimba had said ‘my men’. He had found the head of a gang of poachers. His plan had worked – so far. The next stage was the really dangerous part.

The hunt

      Matimba told Akimbo to come back the following night. He was to bring nothing with him and was to expect to be away for two or three days. The men would bring the food.

      ‘I hope that you’re strong enough,’ he said dubiously. ‘And I hope your parents won’t come looking for you.’

      Akimbo reassured him, but Matimba was no longer paying attention. He had picked up the tusk again, and was polishing at its surface with a cloth. Akimbo threw a last glance at it before he left the room. He hoped that the loss of the tusk would not be noticed too soon. He would have to own up to taking it, but he only wanted to when his plan had been carried out. If it failed, then he did not look forward to confessing that he had given the tusk to the head of a poaching gang.

      Mato was still worried. As they lay side by side on their sleeping mats, Mato told Akimbo: ‘You’re crazy. Go straight home and tell your father what you’ve done.’

      Akimbo told him about how they had found the baby elephant, waiting for its mother.

      ‘We can’t let all the elephants of Africa be destroyed. I must do something for them.’

      Mato was silent at the end of Akimbo’s story.

      ‘All right. I suppose I should say good luck.’

      ‘Thank you,’ said Akimbo. Then, feeling tired after the day’s long walk, he drifted off to sleep, not hearing the sound of the village dogs barking, or the whine of the crickets outside. Mato stayed awake a little longer, worrying about his friend, but at last he, too, fell asleep.

      The next day dragged past with a painful slowness. At last, as the sun began to sink below the hills, Akimbo knew that it was time for him to go to Matimba’s house. He was the only person there to begin with, but a little while later several men arrived. They looked suspiciously at Akimbo, and spoke in lowered voices to Matimba. After that, they appeared to accept Akimbo’s presence.

      There were five men in the group. The leader was a short man, who walked with a limp. He gave orders to the others, who obeyed him quickly and without question. When the time came to leave, he told Akimbo to walk immediately behind him and not to speak once they set off.

      ‘Keep quiet all the time. Do exactly as I tell you and you’ll be all right. Understand?’

      Akimbo nodded. The other men were ready now, and they slipped away from the village, following a path which led through the thick grass towards the hills in the distance. Over those hills lay the reserve, and deep in the reserve were the forests where the elephants lived. They were on their way.

      They walked all night. Akimbo was used to walking long distances, but the speed with which the men travelled wore him out. He had to keep up, even though his feet were sore and he longed to lie down in the grass and go to sleep.

      By the time the sun rose, they had already crossed into the reserve. Now that it was light, they moved cautiously, keeping to a route which took them through heavy vegetation. Akimbo wondered how long they could keep walking all day as well as all night. When could they sleep?

      Suddenly the leader gestured with his hand and the men stopped.

      ‘We’ll rest here,’ he said quietly. ‘Find places to sleep. We’ll move again tonight.’

      Akimbo dropped to the ground underneath the cover of a small thorn bush. The ground was hard but he was so tired that it was more welcome to him than the softest bed. He closed his eyes against the glare of the day and was asleep within seconds.

      He felt the hand of one of the men on his shoulder.

      ‘Time to go,’ a voice whispered. ‘We’re leaving.’

      Akimbo sat up. His body felt sore from sleeping on the ground, and his throat was parched. One of the men gave him a drink of water from a bottle he was carrying. Then he gave him a large piece of dried meat to eat as they walked. The meat was tough and difficult to chew, but Akimbo gnawed at it hungrily.

      It was almost dark by the

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