When Rogala rejoined me, I told him what I had seen, and he said: "Those people live higher up the river, and are going to visit their friends."
I drew a long breath of relief as soon as we got upon our raft, for we did not know but that the leopards were after us.
Suddenly Rogala said: "I have forgotten the snake."
"Never mind," I said to him, "we will go after turtle's eggs."
We had reached the island just in good time, for soon after we heard the roaring of the leopards. They had scented us.
Happily the water was between us. Their rage knew no bounds, for they saw the impassable barrier between us. I said to Rogala: "Hold one of the little leopards up by the neck so that they can see him." Then I fired and succeeded in killing one of the leopards. The other then fled, and we never heard of it again.
That night I slept with "Bulldog" within my arms, and rested my head on the belt holding my revolvers to be ready in case the men we had seen should come back.
The following day we went into the forest in search of game, in spite of our fear that the leopard might still be in the neighborhood. The first thing we did was to collect berries and nuts for Ndova. Finding no game, we returned to our island. Ndova was delighted when we brought him berries. When he could eat no more, he filled his two pouches to their full capacity.
CHAPTER XX
LEAVE THE ISLAND FOR OUR CAMP—MONKEYS AMONG THE TREES—FIND EVERYTHING UNTOUCHED—I GET LOST FOLLOWING NGINAS—AM LUCKY ENOUGH TO FIND KOOLA NUTS—CAMP UNDER THE KOOLA TREE—ANOTHER NIGHT IN THE FOREST
The time had come for us to leave the island and go back to our camp. I was very much pleased with our trip. Now I kept the days carefully. We cooked hard all the turtle's eggs we had and roasted the fish we had caught. Fish tasted very good, for we had been so long without it. Rogala loaded the raft with our outfit. On his return, after landing the latter, I embarked and bade good-bye to the island and to the sun, the moon, and the stars.
It was not long before I heard in the distance a noise like a storm amongst the branches of the trees. The sound was peculiar. Monkeys were coming towards me. This noise always proclaimed their approach. When they came in sight, I saw there was a troop of about thirty of them; they were ndovas. On their march onward, they flung themselves from branch to branch, travelling with very great speed. The branch upon which they alighted bent sometimes ten and fifteen feet under their weight, and rebounded with great force after they had sprung to another. Sometimes they were high up in the tree-tops. Then they descended, to go up higher again. They never sprang upon a branch that could not rebound, and it was during the rebound that they leaped to another, never making a mistake. Their eyes were too quick to miss their mark. They calculated the distance they could spring with marvellous accuracy.
They followed their leader, a big fellow, in quick succession and in silence, and seemed to go four or five abreast. They used chiefly their arms to grasp the branches upon which they alighted and their legs to support themselves. They were so quick in their motion that my eyes often could not follow the movement of their limbs. The end of branches often struck against their faces, but apparently did them no harm, as they swung in the same direction. So they went forward, leaving behind them branches of the trees still swaying for quite a while, filling the forest with their tremor.
They were travelling parallel with the hunting-path, and seemed to go at the rate of fifteen miles or more an hour. Soon they were out of my sight. Gradually the noise they made became less and less and less and then ceased. They were far away. I continued on my way towards the plantation. After a few miles I heard the chatter of ndovas, and came upon a tree upon which they were feeding. They seemed to be having a great carnival of joy amongst themselves. I was interested in looking at them, hidden in a thick bush, and did not wish to kill any, as we had food enough in the camp. They made queer faces at each other; the leader would give now and then a fruit to one of his female companions.
When we got sight of our camp, we looked around and listened awhile, but nobody was there. We went after the ladder, climbed it, and soon were within the enclosure. Ndova's house was just as it was. Rogala's house for the new moon was intact. The large stock of firewood we had gathered was all there. Nothing had been disturbed. Our abode had been discovered by no one.
Two days after Shinshooko and Alapai returned loaded with plantains. We were glad to see them again, and enjoyed the plantains prodigiously.
A few days after our return I went into the forest in search of game. Towards noon I heard, at some distance from the path, a noise made by some animal. I left the path and went in the direction of the noise. The jungle in that part of the forest was not thick, and I could walk fast.
After a while I saw amidst the trees some black objects moving ahead of me. At first I thought they were men, but soon discovered they were nginas. I hid behind the trunk of a tree and watched them. There were three nginas. I saw the biggest take a young tree several inches in diameter, break it in two, and eat the heart of the wood.
The nginas were not old, and looked extremely human. They moved away a little further, and where a fruit called tonda by the natives was growing, they uttered chuckles of delight at their discovery. One handed a tonda to one of the others. I was much afraid they would see me, but after eating the tondas they moved further off and got into the midst of some pineapples, which drew from them more guttural sounds of content. The pineapples disappeared quickly. They ate at least ten each. Then they rested and looked at one another.
Before long, however, they became suspicious, and moved away. I followed in their tracks, but, in my eagerness to pursue them, I omitted to make marks of any kind as I went along so that I could find my way back. It was a great mistake.
Twice I came within sight of the nginas, but intervening branches and overhanging lianas prevented me from using "Bulldog" and getting a shot at them. Finally, I gave up the chase. Then I remembered that during my excitement I had forgotten to mark the trees in order to find my way back, and soon I realized that I was lost. I was in a great dilemma, and I reproached myself for being so careless, and for not having followed the advice that had been given me in the forest.
I walked one way, then another, but could see no traces whatever of where I had been. I was lost, and the remembrance of my former experience while hunting with Oshoria, the slaves of King Mombo, and my other hunters, came vividly before me.
I began to be hungry also. I saw two big koola trees, but the boars had been there, and eaten all the nuts that had fallen. I wished I could have had a peep at these boars, I would have fired at them. Suddenly down came a nut. I made for it at once. Then I said to myself: "I will stay under this tree the rest of the day and camp here to-night, for probably more nuts will fall during that time." I looked for water, and found a little rivulet near by, which confirmed me in thinking this a good place for a camp.
Another nut fell. I rushed towards it, broke it, and soon the kernel was in my mouth. Then another nut fell, and another. No sound seemed to me sweeter than that of the falling of the koola nuts. A strong wind was evidently blowing, for the tops of the trees were shaking and the leaves were quivering. "Blow hard," said I to the wind, "blow hard, for the nuts will fall."
Listening to the sound of the nuts as they fell one after another, and putting a lot of wood on the fire, I lay down to sleep, feeling a great deal better after my meal.
The next morning I awoke perfectly fresh. During the day I came to a tolerably well-trodden path, which was more used than all those I had seen since I had been in my forest home. But I did not know in which direction to follow it. Finally, I determined to follow the right. I walked the rest of the day, but I found nothing to show me where I was going. I was very hungry, but the koola nuts had kept me alive, with the help of water.
I camped again that night in the forest. I put under my head as a pillow my revolvers, and laid "Bulldog" by my side.
CHAPTER XXI
PLANTAIN PEELINGS TO EAT—HUMAN FOOTPRINTS LEAD ME TO A VILLAGE—THE VILLAGERS EVIDENTLY WARLIKE—ADMITTED WITHIN THE GATE—AWE OF THE PEOPLE AT SIGHT OF THE OGUIZI
Early the next morning I was up, and followed the path until I came to another which crossed it. This one was well trodden, showing that it was quite frequented. The question again arose, which side must I take. I concluded to take again the right. Soon after, I discovered some plantain peelings and the remains of a fire. I was delighted at the discovery, and stopped and roasted the peelings, which were better than nothing. I did not like them, but I was very thankful that I had found them. Further on I came to a place where the ground was soft, and saw before me four well-marked human footprints. Two were much larger than the others, and were evidently the marks of a full-grown man; the others looked as if they were those of a woman.
I continued until I came to a place where these two people had rested. I was overjoyed at this discovery, for I knew that they were going to some village or plantation. Soon after I heard voices. I stopped, and left the path and hid in the jungle behind a tree, watching for people to pass. I waited and waited; no one passed. So I left my hiding-place and returned to the path. A little further on I heard more voices; then I left the path again, but I walked parallel with it and was exceedingly careful, looking around everywhere constantly. I had learned from the natives to walk parallel with a path and at some distance from it in case one does not wish to meet people.
After a while I heard voices again, and this time many people were talking together. Evidently I was near an encampment or a village. A village at last came in sight. The houses had no back doors, and numerous dead branches of trees were scattered round, so that it was impossible for any one to come near without making a noise and so being discovered. Apparently the people were holding a meeting, for now and then I could hear a number of voices say, "Yo, Yo," in token of approval of what the speaker was saying.
I went carefully round and saw that each end of the street was closed by a fence made of strong poles varying in height from twelve to fifteen feet and even more. At the top of many of the poles were skulls of wild beasts. Clearly this village belonged to a warlike tribe, whose people were always fighting. In the middle of the fence was the gate, on each side of which stood two big idols of human size and representing two women. How ugly they were! Each had a tongue of iron coming out of the mouth about six inches long, sharp as a razor; their eyes were of iron, they wore big ear-rings of copper of the circumference of an ordinary plate; both wore head-dresses of brilliant feathers. Their bodies were painted of different colors. One held a stick in her hand, which she was brandishing; the other a snake, which she was swinging. At their feet were bones of different animals, talons and heads of eagles, heads of snakes, and many other things.
There was a great noise inside. Soon I heard the tomtoms beat. They sounded to me very warlike. As it was getting late, I decided not to enter the village until the following morning, and retired noiselessly into the forest at quite a distance from the village, and after lighting my fires I went to sleep, wondering what sort of people I was to encounter the following day.
At daylight I was up, but waited until the day was more advanced before going to the village. I kept pondering whether the natives would receive me well, run away, or show fight. At last I left my hiding-place, and a short time afterwards I stood before the village gate and between the two idols. I could hear numerous voices in the distance, sometimes shouts, and the beating of the tomtoms. I judged that the people belonged to the Bakalai tribe.
Then hearing the voices of two women inside close to me, I said to them: "Please open the gate to the Oguizi, who is your friend."
When they heard me, they ran away; but soon three men came up and talking through the palisades, asked who I was, for they could not see my face.
I replied: "I am the Oguizi; I come to see you."
When they opened the gate, I found myself in presence of three fierce-looking fellows, armed with barbed spears, bows, and poisoned arrows. They were tall and young and looked like warriors. Closing the gate behind me, they looked at me with signs of awe, and one of them said: "Are you the Oguizi who has come to see the people of the forest?"
I answered, "I am."
It was fortunate that I could talk the Bakalai language. The three men told me to follow them. As soon as the villagers got a glimpse of me there was a great commotion; the meeting was suspended, the tomtoms beat with greater fury than before, and soon I found myself surrounded by savage men.
The people formed a great circle, and danced round me, singing, at the same time taking most beseeching postures and making invocations to me, asking me to do them no harm. They acted as if I were an idol. When they stopped, I learned that the name of the chief was Penday. I asked to see him. Some of the men went after him, but came back without him. He sent the following message to me: How could he dare to come before the great Oguizi, whom his forefathers had never seen? He would surely drop dead at the sight. He knew that I was coming, because for several nights a gentle wind hovered over the house where he slept and murmured, "The great Oguizi is coming! the great Oguizi is coming!" But he sent word that in three days he would come before me.
Soon after bunches of plantain, two chickens, some eggs, and a dead monkey were laid at my feet, which showed that I was welcomed, and then a hut was given to me that I could occupy by myself.
CHAPTER XXII
ALARM OF MY HUNTERS AT MY ABSENCE—ROGALA SETS OUT TO SEARCH FOR ME—HIS SUPERSTITIOUS TERRORS—CONSULTS HIS OGANA, OR IDOL—FINDS MY TRACES AT LAST AND FOLLOWS ME TO THE VILLAGE
Meantime, as I did not return to our camp, my hunters became greatly alarmed. They set off in different directions in the forest in search of me. Rogala took Andekko with him, thinking that the dog might scent me, and also Ndova.
He slept in the forest that night, and at daylight he started again and kept thinking all sorts of things as he walked along. He wondered if I had left him for good, and gone back to the moon or vanished into the air. If so, what would Rotembo say when he returned without me? He dreaded his chief's wrath. Then he thought that if I was displeased with him, all would be over with him, for I would send all sorts of evil upon him. Such thoughts crowded upon his mind, one after another.
But soon he said to himself: "How can the Oguizi be angry with me? Have we not eaten together? Did he not shake hands with me before he left the camp? Did he not say, 'Take good care of Ndova and Andekko'?" These thoughts reassured him, and gave him new hopes and courage.
After this he seated himself on the ground, took his ogana out of his bag, and putting it in front of him, he spoke to her thus: "Ogana, you know how much I love you; tell me where is the Oguizi. Tell me if he is angry with me. Please, please, show me the way in the forest where I can find him. Do, ogana, do, ogana." Suddenly a smile came over his face. Ogana had said to him that he would find me. Then putting back his precious ogana in his bag, he continued to seek for me with the dog, Andekko, and Ndova, who stood on his shoulder and now and then wandered in the forest.
Fears succeeded hopes in spite of his ogana. Had the Oguizi left him, and seen all he wanted to see in the big forest, and gone back to the "Land of the Oguizis"? His superstitious mind began to brood again. He had the same belief in regard to me that all the people had, and he was seized with a great fear. Had I changed shape, and was I wandering in the forest as an elephant, antelope, leopard, or as a tiny insect? Perhaps I had taken the shape of a bird and was following him.
At this thought he looked round to see if he could discover any birds on the trees near him, and saw a big one looking down upon him. He was filled with fear, and said: "Oguizi, if you have taken the shape of that bird, look into my heart and you will see that I love you." Then he took some of the food he had with him, and left a great part of it for the bird, and continued his way, looking now and then up at the branches of the trees to see if the bird was still following him. Then hearing "Hi-Hi-Hi," a noise made by a peculiar species of grasshopper, he thought I might have taken that shape, so I could not be seen by him.
Once more he took his ogana from his bag and invoked her aid. Still he went on his march in search of me, his mind perfectly bewildered with different thoughts. When, lo! to his supreme joy, he discovered some of the marks I had made upon the bark of trees, broken off branches, and large heaps of leaves which I had laid along the path. After this he discovered that I had left the path and gone into the forest; and again he lost all traces of me. He stopped and talked to Andekko and said: "Andekko, we have lost the Oguizi. Perhaps he is gone forever. Perhaps he is in the forest. Let us find him. Help me, Andekko, to find him." Andekko looked into his face and barked. He seemed to know what Rogala said to him. But soon after this he found my traces again, and followed them to the village where I was.
Suddenly the villagers heard a voice outside of the stockade asking: "Is the Oguizi here?"
A number of voices answered: "Yes, the Oguizi is here with us, and slept in our village last night."
Then they opened the door. The man was Rogala, followed by Andekko, and having Ndova on his shoulder. I was at the other end of the street. When I saw him, I came towards him, and in an instant we were in each other's arms, to the great astonishment of the people of the village, who were mute with wonder at our outburst of friendship. Rogala shouted, "We are men! we are men!"
Andekko gave vent to barks of joy, leaping round me, and Ndova jumped from Rogala's shoulder upon mine, uttering the peculiar sounds which showed his pleasure in seeing me again.
After we were seated Rogala recounted to me what I have already told, and at the conclusion of his story he whispered to me: "Oguizi, I hope you have not told where we live in the forest." I whispered, "No;" and after a while the Bakalais crowded round Rogala and asked him all kinds of questions about me.
CHAPTER XXIII
WITCHCRAFT PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAKALAIS—TWO OF THE CLASS "BEWITCHED"—A NEGRO ALBINO—THE IDOL MAKAMBO—HER DREAD APPEARANCE—RETURN TO CAMP—MONKEYS OVERRUN THE CAMP—I DRIVE THEM OFF—ESCAPE OF NDOVA—HIS UNEXPECTED RETURN
The Bakalais, like all the people of the great forest, were very superstitious, and believed in witchcraft. I found that the people had moved only a few months before, and that they had abandoned their former village on this account. Two men had been "bewitched," and had died within a day of each other, and this was the cause of the people moving away. When I arrived, they were holding a great council to find out who the sorcerers and witches were, and whether they lived in their village or in some others.
At sunset the children ceased to play, and the village became quiet. There arose in the air one of those mournful, heart-piercing chants,—a long, sustained wail of anguish and sorrow. Tears rolled down the cheeks of the women. "We shall never see Anguilsi any more, we shall never see Obindji any more," they sang over and over. These were the names of the two men who had died. They sang for about half an hour. After a while I saw the people leading about through the dim light what I thought to be a naked white man. I could not believe my eyes, but as he came near me I kept cool and did not show my astonishment. When he came in front of me I recognized the man to be a negro albino, for his features, though his skin was white, were those of a negro. His hair was woolly, his eyes pinkish.
Later in the evening, an idol, called Makambo, was brought out into the street, to remain there all night. It represented a woman, and was of the size of life. She had cloven feet; her eyes and tongue were of copper; she wore bracelets around her arms and rings of copper around her ankles. She had around her neck a necklace of leopard's claws, and as a pendant wore the canine of a leopard also. The skin of a snake was wound around her legs.
That night nobody came out in the street, and nobody talked in the village, for fear of displeasing Makambo. The people expected her to talk to them that night and to give some advice. The medicine man or the chief of the village interprets to the people what the idol says.
Makambo was very much venerated, and during the night food was put before her. In the morning the people said that Makambo had nodded her head and smiled, showing that she was pleased with the offering of game she had received. But we did not wait to learn the result of the witchcraft proceedings, and leaving the Bakalai we found our way back to our camp.
"I am going into the forest," I said to Rogala, Shinshooko, and Alapai one morning soon after our return, "to look for new species of birds. Perhaps I shall find some that I have never seen before. I do not intend to go far away."
My hunters replied: "We three are going to look at all the traps we have made to see if they are in order and if game has been trapped. We are going to take Andekko and leave Ndova in the camp."
So we all ascended the ladder and wished each other good luck. Nothing strange happened to me. I shot no birds, for I had killed before this specimens of all the species I saw that day, and had stuffed them.
As I approached the camp on my way back, I heard a great uproar among what I thought was a large troop of monkeys, to judge by the noise. They were jabbering away at a great rate, and seemed to be in a great state of excitement. But to my astonishment I discovered that they were in our camp. What were they doing there? They were evidently after Ndova. They had come to pay him a visit. He had manifestly called them. I walked carefully, and after ascending the ladder I raised my head above the fence.
The most extraordinary sight was before me. The monkeys had taken possession of our camp. They were everywhere, and wandering around in every direction. They all belonged to the ndova species. I counted seventeen of them. They had clearly arrived just a little before me. A number surrounded Ndova's cage. Some were on the sides, some on the top. They were talking to Ndova, who answered them. They were trying to break the cage. The most eager amongst them was the leader of the troop, a very big fellow.
It was a sight indeed! I was very glad we had made Ndova's house so strong. The leader wanted badly to reach Ndova. He would bite the creepers that tied the poles together, then stop and talk to Ndova, then go to work again.
Unfortunately I could not see what Ndova was doing inside; was he also trying to break his cage and go to the monkeys? I watched silently; but I began to fear that the cage would gradually be broken by the big monkey. So I gave a heavy cough. At this all the monkeys looked around. The big male, their leader, gave a peculiar cry of alarm. In an instant they were all over the fence and among the trees. Soon after I heard them utter loud calls, which Ndova answered. Then all became silent, and after a while I heard the branch of a tree near the palisade bend under the weight of a monkey that had come back. I looked up and saw a very big monkey. He was the leader, and easily recognized by his large size, for he was much bigger than all the others. He began to talk to our monkey, who answered him; then he jumped down upon another branch, and I saw him scale the palisade and get on the top of Ndova's house, and just as he was beginning to try to break into it, I gave a great shout, and the big fellow, in three bounds, fled outside the camp. A short time afterwards he came back again, this time very slyly, and I saw him only when he came over the palisade. I fired a gun. He uttered a shrill cry of fright, fled once more, and never came back.
When my hunters returned, I told them what had happened. After I had finished, Rogala said: "The leader of the troop wanted Ndova to go away with him."
The following day I took Ndova with me into the forest and loosed him. He followed me closely, but I was suddenly startled by his calling monkeys. He was answered at once by the big voice of one of his species. Then I saw Ndova go from tree to tree in the direction of the troop of the ndovas as fast as he could. I shouted, "Ndova, Ndova," but he did not heed my voice and disappeared amongst the trees. I went after him, and after a while I heard a strange racket among the monkeys. They were evidently welcoming Ndova, and were expressing their feelings by different sounds or words of their own.
I gave up Ndova, and was returning to the camp with a sad heart, when all at once I heard a rustling of branches over my head and then a chuckle. It was Ndova. I called him, and soon after he was on my shoulders grinning. I said: "Ndova, you won't catch me again letting you entirely free in the forest. After this you will be tied to a cord when you go out with me." But I had no cord with me then, so I had to leave him to himself. He did not run away, however, and we reached the camp together.
When the men returned in the evening I told them how afraid I had been that we had lost Ndova.
"Yes," they said; "hereafter he must be tied and always led by a rope."
CHAPTER XXIV
WE COME TO THE END OF OUR PROVISIONS—ANTELOPE SKIN BOILED FURNISHES US A REPAST—NDOVA DECOYS MONKEYS AND WE SOON GET FOOD ENOUGH—ALAPAI FINDS FRUITS AND NUTS ALSO
One day when Andekko had been hunting by himself, he returned with such a forlorn appearance that we knew he had found nothing. He had been absent about three hours.
"Poor Andekko!" I said to Rogala; "look at his ribs, and how they stick out, and the numerous scars left from the wounds he has received fighting wild animals are more conspicuous than ever."
He was indeed a sight. The dear old fellow seemed to know that I was talking of him, as he had heard his name, and was looking at me and wagging his tail all the time I was speaking. I fancied he was saying to me: "Let us leave this place. It is no good. There is no game here. Can't you see how thin I am?"
Looking at Ndova, I said to Rogala: "Ndova is much better off than Andekko. He is not so thin. Would you take a knife and kill our friend Ndova, who has been so often the cause of our getting food, thus preventing us from starving?"
Then I recounted one by one all the different times Ndova and Andekko had saved us from hunger or starvation and said: "Rogala, Ndova and Andekko have been faithful to us. We shall be faithful to them, and if we get food we will divide it amongst all of us."
All the time I was thinking what to do to relieve our hunger. We were in desperate straits. Suddenly I said: "Rogala, I have found food."
At my words Rogala brightened up. "Where is the food?" he inquired.
"There," I said, pointing to my bed. He glanced there, but there was no food to be seen, and he looked disappointed.
"Yes, Rogala," I persisted, "there is food on my bed."
Two antelope skins which we had stretched and dried lay on my bed. I had intended to make shoes, leggings, and trousers with them. But, pointing to the two skins, I said: "We will boil these skins and eat them. That will keep us all from starving until we find game."
Rogala's eyes were now full of life and hope. I wondered why I had not thought of this before. So we made preparations at once for a meal. We cut off a part of one of the antelope skins, and poured hot water upon the hair and scraped and washed it afterwards. Then we cut the skin into very small pieces, and boiled these until they became quite soft, after which, as a relish, we added some salt and some red pepper—I could hardly eat anything without pepper. When ready, we poured the contents into a wooden dish. This done, we sat around it, Andekko standing by us and waiting with eager eyes for his share of the boiled skin. We thought the food was not bad, for we were famished.
After the meal I said: "Men, these two antelope skins will furnish us food for three or four days, and that will give us time to find game and nuts." We felt much stronger after our meal.
The following day Shinshooko and Alapai went to look after the traps to see if any animals had been caught. Rogala and I went into the forest with Ndova and Andekko.
After a long walk Ndova uttered the sounds made by his species—the white-nosed monkeys or ndovas. They answered his call; we could hear them coming towards us. Rogala immediately tied Ndova with a rope and held him fast. Then we hid under a short tree with thick foliage. Soon the monkeys were above our heads talking to Ndova, who answered them. We stood still, then moved carefully out of our hiding-place, having in the meantime made Ndova fast to a branch of the tree. We took aim, fired, and two big monkeys fell dead almost upon our heads.
Rogala gave a grim look of satisfaction. Then looking at the two monkeys, I said to Rogala: "Look at what Ndova has done for us. Without him we should be without food and starving."
We could not wait until we returned to the camp. We lighted a big fire, cut one of the monkeys in two, and roasted it. So we had a good meal, and gave a lot to Andekko.
There was great rejoicing that evening in the camp round the roast half of one of the monkeys. Alapai, who had discovered a cluster of trees with nuts, brought a number of tondas, berries and fruits; so Ndova had also a feast.
CHAPTER XXV
I FIND STRANGE FOOTPRINTS ON THE BANKS OF A RIVULET—ROGALA AND I SET OFF IN PURSUIT—WE FIND A MAN UNDER A KOOLA TREE—SURPRISE AND CAPTURE HIM—TERROR OF OUR CAPTIVE—WE TAKE HIM TO CAMP AND DISCOVER HE IS A CANNIBAL
One day I had not walked two hours when I was startled by the discovery of two human footprints on the banks of a little rivulet. They looked so fresh that I thought the man had been there but a short time before me. I looked around, but saw no one, and heard nothing. I held one of my revolvers ready to fire at sight.
I hurried back to the camp and told Rogala of my discovery. He listened attentively, and then said with much earnestness: "I wonder if the Bakalais of the village we left have sent a spy to see where we live and learn what we are doing."
"No fear of that, Rogala," I said; "no Bakalai would dare to follow the Oguizi. The man is either an elephant hunter or a runaway slave, or a man who has fled from his tribe or village on being accused of witchcraft."
Rogala got up and went for his gun; then he said: "Oguizi, let us go in search of that man. We must capture him, for who knows but he may have discovered our camp?"
Taking "Bulldog" with me, we started, Rogala whispering to me, as we went along, the well-known caution: "Let us not make more noise than a leopard in search of prey, or a fish swimming."
We came to the little stream where I had seen the footprints. Rogala said to me, after he had looked at them: "This man has taken this rivulet as a path, and followed the water."
With these words he did the same thing. I followed, and we waded down with the current. We had not walked more than one hour when Rogala gave a low click and pointed with his finger to a particular spot near a big tree. Looking in that direction, I saw a man under a koola tree picking up some of the nuts that had fallen on the ground, breaking them with a stone, and eating them voraciously. He had evidently been starving.
We hid behind a tree, and watched silently the movements of the stranger. We did not dare to whisper for fear of being heard.
Rogala, who was about two yards from me, came to my side, and made a sign to move away further. He was very much excited. His forehead was covered with perspiration. When we were at a safe distance, he whispered: "This man is not a Bakalai; he is from a far country. I think he has run away from his people. Let us surprise him, and if he runs away from us I will shoot at him and kill him."
I saw by the looks of Rogala that he was in earnest.
"No, Rogala," I replied, "we must not kill him if he runs away, but try to capture him. Then we shall find out where he comes from, and how far off his country is. As soon as we come near him we will shout to him to stand still. I will fire 'Bulldog,' and if he has never heard a gun fired in his life he will be so scared that he will not move. If he runs away, we will run after him. We are good runners, we can go quickly through the jungle. Now let us crawl towards him; you keep on his right, I on his left."
We walked so carefully that not one of our steps could be heard. Rogala once moved towards me just to whisper: "Oguizi, he must not escape from us."
We saw that the man had a bag of poisoned arrows hanging by his side, and on the ground lay his bow.
Nearer and nearer we came to the stranger, who was busy breaking the koola nuts, when suddenly he turned round and looked in our direction. Fortunately we crouched in time by a fallen tree. Had he heard us? We peeped above the tree. No, for he again began to crack koola nuts, and was putting the kernels in a little bag. We were within ten yards of him.
Suddenly, without a word of warning, Rogala jumped up, crossed the stream, and uttered a terrific war-cry, running towards the man. When I saw this, I fired "Bulldog" and ran also towards him. The poor fellow seemed to be spellbound and unable to get up. As we came up to him, he took hold of Rogala's feet, which meant that he put himself under his protection, and looked at me with great terror. He trembled all over, and could not utter a word.
I looked at him and smiled, but this did not seem to reassure him. Rogala spoke to him in several languages that he had learned from other slaves, but our prisoner shook his head to show that he did not understand. Then I spoke to him in several of the languages I had learned, but he understood me no better. Thereupon we made signs to try to find out from where he came. At this he looked up, trying to see from the light where the sun was. Then he pointed in the direction of the east.
"He must be from a far-off country," I said to Rogala, "for he seems not to understand any of the languages we have spoken to him."
Our captive was tall, and emaciated from hunger. His teeth were filed sharp to a point, and gave him a very savage appearance. Every part of his body except his legs was tattooed all over. On his stomach was the representation of a crocodile, showing that he must have lived on the shore of a lake or of a river. Upon his cheeks were spots of the size of large peas. His forehead was also tattooed.
"We must be very watchful," said Rogala; "perhaps the man understands some of the languages we spoke to him, after all."
Then he broke the man's bow, and buried his bag of poisoned arrows in the ground, for fear that man or beast would be hurt by them.
Our prisoner was very much frightened when he saw this, and looked at me with imploring eyes. He had divined instinctively that I was the master; his looks seemed to say: "Do not kill me!"
After a pause I said: "Rogala, if our prisoner tries to run away, let us spare his life and not shoot him; every man tries to run away from the people he fears in search of liberty. You would do likewise if Rotembo were not a good master."
Rogala looked at me in blank astonishment, and then said: "Oguizi, I will not try to kill him if he runs away; but," he added, "he must not run away."
We let our prisoner crack more koola nuts, and waited until his appetite was satisfied; then we started for our camp, our captive walking between Rogala, who led, and myself in the rear. Rogala had taken the precaution to tie his hands behind his back before starting. We walked silently, not one of us uttering a word until we came to our palisade. Our captive then showed signs of great fear.
I told Rogala to go over first and tie Andekko, for I was sure the dog would try to bite him. When we were all inside, we gave our prisoner a good warm meal of plantains—a few of which still remained—and a piece of monkey. Rogala washed his body with warm water and then rubbed it with oil, for his skin was dried and parched; he seemed very grateful. Soon he fell asleep on the bare ground.
Looking at him as he slept, I said to Rogala: "The poor fellow may have been days and weeks in the forest subsisting on nuts, berries, and fruit when he could find them, avoiding all the time the paths for fear of coming in contact with people. For you know," I continued, "that as soon as a man is out of his country, and comes out of his circle of friends belonging to another tribe, he is sure to be captured and made a slave."
"That is true," replied Rogala. "To-morrow morning we will try to learn something about him."
Andekko did not take kindly to our new-comer, and growled at him all the time. We agreed to watch in turn over the captive during the night, as his bonds were not very strong. We lighted several fires round him, and tied Andekko for fear that he might bite him.
When I awoke in the morning, I saw that he was still asleep, Andekko watching him and growling at him now and then. I looked for Rogala, but he was not there. I wondered where he had gone. Soon after I heard an axe. Rogala was cutting down a tree. After a while all became silent, and Rogala appeared before me and told me that he had cut two logs. After he had brought these inside, Rogala went to work on a "nchogo," and I guessed at once that it was to keep our prisoner captive and prevent him from running away. The nchogo is composed of two logs with holes,—the larger one to imprison the feet, the smaller for the hands.
The poor fellow was very much frightened when he saw the nchogo. He knew that it was for him. When I saw this, I said to Rogala: "This man belongs to a tribe living in the great forest, for he knows what a nchogo is. In a barren or prairie country they have no trees to make nchogos of. But we must treat our prisoner gently, give him plenty of food to show him that we care for him and that we are his friends. Then in a few days, after he has got accustomed to us, we will free him from the nchogo."
That day we gave him three meals, and ate by his side, and he saw that we had the same food.
When evening came, I said: "Rogala, you will go to sleep while I watch."
Soon both Rogala and our prisoner were asleep. Towards two o'clock I awoke Rogala for the watch and went to sleep myself.
In the morning I said: "Rogala, let us think over and see if you and I have spoken to our prisoner all the languages and dialects we know."
So we began to think, and finally Rogala said: "I did not speak to him in the Osheba language."
"Why," said I, "do you think he is a cannibal?"
"Perhaps he is," he replied.
Rogala spoke to him then in Osheba, and had uttered but a few words when the man's face brightened up, for he found that we should be able to understand him. He was a cannibal. There was no doubt about it.
Several days passed by. We got along very well with our captive, although he was kept in stocks. He seemed contented with his lot. He found that we treated him otherwise like one of ourselves. He ate with us, and consequently had the same food. When food was very scarce, we divided it equally among us, but of course when we had only nuts or berries he had only these to eat, and if we were hungry he had to go hungry also.
Several times I proposed to Rogala to take him out of the nchogo, but Rogala was always unwilling. Thinking that he was wiser than I in this matter, as he knew the native character better than I did, I let him have his own way.
We had given the name of Akenda-Mbani ("never go twice to the same place") to our prisoner, for we knew that he would never go back to his own country.
One afternoon Shinshooko and Alapai made their appearance, bringing with them four elephants' tusks. They had found two elephants in the pits they had dug in the forest for the purpose of entrapping the huge beasts.
They were very much astonished when they saw Akenda-Mbani and we told them how we had captured him.
CHAPTER XXVI
NDOVA FALLS SICK—STUNG BY A SCORPION OR BITTEN BY A CENTIPEDE—REFUSES TO EAT—GROWS WEAKER IN SPITE OF ALL OUR CARE AND NURSING—ONE MORNING I FIND HIM DEAD—WE MAKE A COFFIN FOR HIM AND BURY HIM IN THE FOREST
The following morning, to my astonishment and no small consternation, Ndova was ill, and refused to eat the berries and nuts given to him, of which ordinarily he was very fond. He looked at them, but would not even take them in his hands. His body was hot, and it was evident that he had a high fever. His heart beat very fast. It was very strange, I thought; he had been so well the evening before.
I said to Rogala: "I wonder if Ndova could have been stung by a scorpion or a centipede during the night, or perhaps a small poisonous snake entered his house and bit him when he tried to play with it."
"No," said Rogala, "monkeys are like people; they are afraid of snakes and do not play with them."
I took Ndova on my knees and examined his body, on which I discovered a red spot, showing that he had been stung either by a scorpion or a centipede.
"Look!" I said to Rogala, pointing out the place to him. "Ndova has been stung by a scorpion or a centipede."
"It is so," replied Rogala.
There are two or three species of centipedes and scorpions; the very poisonous ones are dark red, almost black. Rogala looked carefully at the red spot, and then said in a thoughtful and sad voice: "I am afraid it is all over with Ndova, for we black men die of the sting of this bad kind of scorpion and centipede, or else, if we escape, we are very ill. Their stings are often as dangerous as the bites of poisonous snakes."
I immediately gave a little dose of medicine to Ndova, but it did not seem to do him any good. That night we all went to sleep feeling very sad.
At break of day I went to Ndova to see how he was. I said, "Good-morning, Ndova," but he remained quiet in his little house. He did not come out, as he had always done before, and jump on my shoulder, and give a chuckle, which probably meant in the monkey language of the ndova tribe, "I am glad to see you." Instead of the chuckle I heard an indistinct sound, and he looked at me in a forlorn way as if to say, "I am very ill."