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OUR FIRST GORILLA.


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THE GORILLA HUNTERS.
3 @ale nf 1h: milks nf CAfrica.
BY
R. M. BALLANTYNE,
Author of “ Hudaou': Buy; or, Every-day Life in {he Wilda of X01111 America ;"—
" The Young hr-Tnden;"—“ Ungna: A Tale of Exquhnau: Laud ;"—
" The Coral I:Ilnd;"—“Mnrfln Rattler," to.
LONDON:
T. NELSON AND SONS, PATERNOSTER ROW;
EDINBURGH ; AN!) NEW YORK.
MDCCCLX I.





i
1 i. I \'
Gin n i 0 his.
Chapter
I. In which the hunters are introduced,
II. Life in the wild woods,
III. \Vherein I mount guard, and how I did it, &c., IV. Wherein will be found much that is philosophical, V. Preparations frr a grand hunt,
VI. Dreaming, and feeding, and bloody work enlarged on, VII. We circumvent the natives, ... VI II. Peterkin distinguishes himself, and ()kand.iga is disposed of,
IX. I discover a curious insect, and Peterkin takes a strange flight,
‘5 ‘ X. Water appreciated-Destructive flies, &c.,
i “3 XI. Iiow we met with our first Gorilla, and how we served him,
\J XII. Peterkin's schoolday reminiscences, i\ XIII. We got into “ the thick of it "- Great success,
XIV. Our plans are suddenly altered —Wicked designs discovered,
_. J XV. An unexpected meeting—We fly, and I make a narrow escape,
f‘ XVI. An unfortunate delay, and a terrible visitor, ‘ XVII. We visit a natural menagerie, and see wonderful sights,
k
XVIII. Strange discoveries—Jack made a commander-in chief,
\
X IX. Preparations for war, and peculiar drill,
XX. A warlike expedition and a victory, £30. Arrangements for pursuing the enemy, and sudden change of plans,
,‘gXX I I. We meet with a ludicrously awful adventure,
QXXIII. We see strange things, and give our negro friends the slip,
fVIV. A long chase, and a happy termination thereof,
so XXV. I have a desperate encounter and a narrow escape,
Jam/R oi/





THE GORILLA HUNTERS.
CHAPTER I.
IN WHICH THE HUNTERS ARE INTRODUCED.
IT Was five o’clock in the afternoon. There can be
no doubt whatever as to that. Old Agnes may say
What she pleases,—she has a habit of doing so; but I
know for certain (because I looked at my watch not
ten minutes before it happened) that it was exactly
five o’clock in the afternoon, when I received a most
singular and every way remarkable visit—a visit
which has left an indelible impression on my memory,
as well it might, for, independent of its singularity
and unexpectedness, one of its results was the series
of strange adventures which are faithfully detailed in
this volume.
It happened thus :—
I was seated in an arm chair in my private study
1


10 A STRANGE VISITOR.
in a small town on the west coast of England. It
was a splendid afternoon, and it was exactly five
o’clock. Mark that. Not that there is anything
singular about the mere fact—neither is it in any way
mixed up with the thread ofthis tale ; but old Agnes
is very obstinate—singularly positive—and I have a
special desire that she should see it in print, that I
have not given in on that point. Yes, it was five
precisely, and a beautiful evening. I was ruminat-
ing, as I frequently do, on the pleasant memories of
bygone days, especially the happy days that I spent
long ago among the coral islands of the Pacific, when
a tap at the door aroused me.
“ Come in.”
“A veesiter, sir,” said old Agnes (my landlady),
“ an’ he’ll no gie his name.”
Old Agnes, I may remark, is a Scotchwoman.
“ Show him in,” said 1.
“Maybe he’s a. pick-pocket,” suggested Agnes.
“ I’ll take my chance of that.”
“ Ay 1 that’s like ’ee. Cares for naethin’. Losh,
man, what if he cuts yer throat ’i ”
“I’ll take my chance of that too, only do show
him in, my good woman,” said I, with a gesture of
impatience that caused the excellent(though obstinate)
old creature to depart, grumbling.
In another moment a quick step was heard on the


A STRANGE VISITOR. ll
stair, and a stranger burst into the room, shut the
door in my landlady’s face as she followed him, and
locked it.
I was naturally surprised, though not alarmed, by
the abrupt and eccentric conduct of my visitor, who
did not condescend to take off his hat, but stood with
his arms folded on his breast, gazing at me and breath-
ing hard.
“, You are agitated, sir, pray be seated,” said I,
pointing to a chair.
The stranger, who was a little man, and evidently
a gentleman, made no reply, but, seizing a chair, placed
it exactly before me, sat down on it as he would have
seated himself on a horse, rested his arms on the back,
and stared me in the face.
“ You are disposed to be facetious,” said I, smiling,
(for I never take ofi'ence without excessively good
reason).
“ Not at all, by no means,” said be taking off his
hat and throwing it recklessly on the floor. “ You
are Mr. Rover, I presume?”
“ The same, sir, at your service.”
“ Are you ’4’ oh, that’s yet to be seen I Pray, is your
Christian name Ralph?”
“ It is,” said I, in some surprise at the coolness of
my visitor.
“ Ah! just so. Christian name Ralph—t’other


12 A srmuor. vrsrron.
name Rover—Ralph Rover. Very good. Age twenty-
two yesterday, eh ? ”
“ My birthday was yesterday, and my age 'is
twenty-two. You appear to know more of my private
history than I have the pleasure of knowing of yours.
Pray, sir, may I—hut, bless me I are you unwell?”
I asked this in some alarm because the little man
was rolling about in his seat, holding his sides, and
growing very red in the face.
“ Oh no! not at all, perfectly well; never was better
in my life,” he said, becoming all at once preternatu-
rally grave. “ You were once in the Pacific—lived
on a coral island—”
“ I did.”
“ Oh, don’t trouble yourself to answer. Just shut
up for a minute or two. You were rather a soft green
youth then, and you don’t seem to be much harder
or less verdant now.“
“ Sir!” I exclaimed, getting angry.
“Just so,” continued he, “ and you knew a young
rascal there—”
“I know a. rascal here,” I exclaimed, starting up,
“ whom I’ll kick—”
“ What i ” cried the little stranger, also starting up
and capsizing the chair ; “ Ralph Rover, has time and
sunburning and war so changed my visage that you
cannot recognise Peterkiu 2 ”


A REMARKABLE DISCOVERY. 13
I almost gasped for breath.
“Peterkin ! Peterkin Gay 2 ” I exclaimed
I am not prone to indulge in efi'eminate demon-
stration, but I am not ashamed to confess that, when
I gazed on the weather-beaten, though ruddy counte-
nance of my old companion, and observed the eager
glance of his bright blue eyes, I was quite overcome,
and rushed violently into his arms. I may also add
that, until that day, I had had no idea. of Peterkin’s
physical strength, for during the next five minutes
he twisted me about and spun me round and round
my own room until my brain began to reel, and I was
fain to cry him mercy.
“ So, you’re all right; the same jolly, young, old
wise-acre in whiskers and long coat,” cried Peterkin,
“ come now, Ralph, sit down if you can. I mean
to stay with you all evening, and all night, and all
to—morrow, and all next day, so we’ll have lots of time
to fight our battles o’er again. Meanwhile compose
yourself, and I’ll tell you what I’ve come about. Of
course, my first and chief reason was to see your
face, old boy; but I have another reason too—a very
peculiar reason. I’ve a. proposal to make and a plan
to unfold, both of ’em stunners, they’ll shut you up
and screw you down, and altogether fiaberghast
you when you hear ’em, so sit down and keep quiet
D
-—do.


14 AN OLD common.
I sat down accordingly and tried to compose my-
self, but to say truth I was so much overjoyed and
excited by the sight of my old friend and companion
that I had some difficulty at first in fixing my atten-
tion on what he said, the more especially that he spoke
with extreme volubility, and interrupted his discourse
very frequently in order to ask questions, or to ex- ’
plain.
“ Now, old fellow,” he began, “ here goes, and mind
you don’t interrupt me. Well, I mean to go, and I
mean you to go with me, to—but, I forgot, perhaps
you won’t be able to go—what are you?”
“ What am I 2 ”
“ Ay, your profession

your calling—lawyer,—
M.D.—scrivener—which ? ”
“ I am a naturalist. ”
“ A what ?”
“ A naturalist.”
“Ralph,” said Peterkin slowly, “have you been
long troubled with that complaint?”
“Yes,” I replied laughing, “ I have suffered from
it from my earliest infancy, more or less.”
“I thought so,” rejoined my companion, shaking
his head gravely. “ I fancied that I observed the de—
velopment of that disease when we lived together on
the coral island. It don’t bring you in many thousands
a year, does it ?”


EXPLANATIONS. 15
“ N 0,” said I, “ it does not. I am only an amateur,
having a sufficiency of this world’s goods to live on,
without working for my bread. But, although my
dear father at his death left me a small fortune, which
yields me three hundred a year, I do not feel entitled
to lead the life of an idler in this busy world, where so
many are obliged to toil night and day for the bare
necessaries of life. I have therefore taken to my
favourite studies as a sort of business, and flatter
myself that I.have made one or two not unimportant
discoveries and added a few mites to the sum of human
knowledge. A good deal of my time is spent in scien-
tific roving expeditions throughout the country, and
in contributing papers to several magazines.”
While I was thus speaking I observed that Peter-
kin’s face was undergoing the most remarkable series
of changes of expression, which, as I concluded, merged
into a smile of beaming delight as he said,—
“ Ralph, you're a trump I ”
“ Possibly,” said I, “ you are right; but, setting that
question aside for the present, let me remind you that
you have not yet told me where you mean to go to.”
“ I mean,” said Peterkin, slowly, placing both hands
on his knees and looking me steadily in the face,
“ I mean to go a-hunting in—but I forgot. You
don’t know that I’m a hunter, a. somewhat famous
hunter 2 "


16 Mom: REMARKABLE nrscovnnms.
“ Of course I don’t. You are so full of your plans
and proposals that you have not yet told me where
you have been, or what doing these six years. And
you’ve never written to me once all that time, shabby
fellow. I thought you were dead.”
“ Did you go into mourning for me, Ralph ? ”
“ N o, of course not.”
“ A pretty fellow you are to find fault. You
thought that I, your oldest and best friend, was dead,
and you did not go into mourning. How could I
write to you when you parted from me without giv-
ing me your address? It was a mere chance my find-
ing you out even now. 1 was taking a quiet cup of
coffee in the commercial room of a hotel not far dis-
tant when' I overheard a stranger speaking of his
friend ‘ Ralph Rover, the philosopher,’ so I plunged
at him promiscuously, and made him give me your
address. But I’ve corresponded with Jack ever since
we parted on the pier at Dover.”
“ What, Jack! Jack Martin ’i ” I exclaimed as a
warm gush of feeling filled my heart at the sound of
his well-remembered name. “ Is Jack alive ? ”
“Alive ! I should think so. If possible he’s more
alive than ever, for I should suppose he must be full
grown now, which he was not when we last met. He
and I have corresponded regularly. He lives in the
north of England, and by good luck happens to be


MORE REMARKABLE DISCOVERIES.
just now within thirty miles of this town. You don’t
mean to say, Ralph, that you have never met l ”
“ Never. The very same mistake that happened
with you, occurred between him and me.' We parted
vowing to correspond as long as we should live, and
three hours after I remembered that we had neglected
to exchange our addresses, so that we could not cor-
respond. I have often, often made inquries both
for you and him, but have always failed. I never
heard of J ack from the time we parted at Dover till
to-day.”
“ Then, no doubt, you thought us both dead, and yet
you did not go into mourning for either of us ! _0
Ralph, Ralph, I had entertained too good an opinion
of you.”
“But tell me about Jack,” said I, impatient to‘
hear more concerning my dear old comrade.
“Not just now, my boy, more of him in a few
minutes. First let us return to the point. What
was it? oh ! a—about my being a celebrated hunter.
A very Nimrod—at least a miniature copy. Well,
Ralph, since we last met I have been all over the
world, right round and round it. I’m a lieutenant
in the navy now-—-at least I was a week ago. I’ve
been fighting with the Cafiirs, and the China-men,
and been punishing the rascally sepoys in India,
and been hunting elephants in Ceylon and tiger shoot-v
2


18 moms: REMARKABLE mscov sums.
ing in the jungles, and harpooning whales in the polar
seas, and shooting lions at the Cape ; oh, you’ve no‘
notion where all I’ve been. It's a. perfect marvel
I’ve turned up here alive. But there’s one beast I’ve
not yet seen, and I’m resolved to see him and shoot
him too—~”
" But,” said I, interrupting, “what mean you, by
saying that you were a lieutenant in the navy a week
ago i ”
“I mean that I‘ve given it up. I’m tired of the
sea. I only value it as a means of getting from one
country to another. The land, the land for me!
You must know that an old uncle, a rich old uncle of
mine, whom I never saw, died lately and left me his
whole fortune. Of course, he died in India. All old
uncles who die suddenly and leave unexpected for-
tunes to unsuspecting nephews, are old Indian uncles,
and mine was no exception to the general rule. So
I’m independent like you, Ralph, only I’ve got three
or four thousand a year instead of hundreds, I believe,
but I’m not sure, and don’t care—and I’m determined
now to go on a long hunting expedition. What think
ye of all that, my boy?”
“ In truth,” said I, “it would puzzle me to say
what I think, I am so filled with surprise by all you
tell me. But you forget that you have not yet
told me to which part of the world you mean to go,


WILD PLANS. 19
and what sort of beast it is you are so determined to
see and shoot if you can.”
“ If I can ! ” echoed Peterkin with a contemptuous
curl of the lip. “Did not I tell you that I was a
celebrated hunter. Without meaning to boast I may
tell you that there is no pera-dventure in my shoot-
ing. If I only get there and see the brute within
long range I’ll—bah I wont I I”
“ Get where, and see what."
“ Get to Africa and see the gorilla! ” cried Peter-
kin, while a glow of enthusiasm lighted up his eyes.
“ You’ve heard of the gorilla, Ralph, 0f course—the
great ape—the enormous puggy—the huge baboon-—
the man monkey, that we’ve been hearing so much of
for some years back, and that the niggers on the African
coast used to dilate about till they caused the very
hair of my head to stand upon end. I’m determined
to shoot a gorilla, or prove him to be a myth. And
I mean you to come and help me, Ralph ; he’s quite
in your way. A bit of natural history, I suppose,
although he seems by all accounts to be a very un-
natural monster. And Jack shall go too, I’m resolved
on that—and we three shall roam the wild woods
again, as we did in days of yore, and—"
“ Hold Peter-kin,” said I, interrupting. “ How do
you know that Jack will go?”
“ How do I know ? Intuitively, of course. I


20 WILD runs.
shall write to him to-night; the post does not leave
till ten. He’ll get it to-morrow at breakfast, and
will catch the forenoon coach, which will bring him
down here by two o’clock, and then we’ll begin our
preparations at once, and talk the matter over at
dinner. So you see it’s all cut and dry. Give me
a sheet of paper and I’ll write at once—ah ! here’s a
bit—now a pen. Bless me, Ralph, haven’t you got
a quill? Who ever heard of a philosophical natu-
ralist writing with steel! Now, then, here goes;—
‘ B’luv’d Jack,’—will that do to begin with? eh!
I’m afraid it’s too affectionate ; he’ll think it’s from
a lady friend. But it can’t be altered,—-—‘Here I
am, and here’s Ralph—Ralph Rover I I 1 Z I 1 think of
that’ (I say Ralph I’ve put six marks of admiration
there); ‘ I’ve found him out. Do come to see us.
Excruciatingly important business. Ever thine—-
Peterkin Gay.’ Will that bring him, d’ye think ? ”
“ I think it will,” said I, laughing.
“ Then 03 with it, Ralph,” cried my volatile friend,
jumping up and looking hastily round for the bell-
rope. Not being able to find it, my bell-pull being
an unobtrusive knob and not a rope, he rushed to
the door, unlocked it, darted out, and uttered a tre-
mendous roar, which was followed by a clatter and a
scream from old Agnes, whom he had upset and
tumbled over.


AN ACCIDENT. 21
It was curious to note the sudden change that took
place in Peterkin’s face, voice, and manner, as he
lifted the poor old woman, who was very thin and
light, in his arms, and carrying her into the room,
placed her in my easy chair. Real anxiety was
depicted in his countenance, and he set her down
with a degree of care and tenderness that quite
amazed me. I was myself very much alarmed at
first.
“ My poor dear old woman," said Peterkin, sup-
porting my landlady’s head, “ my stupid haste! I
fear you are hurt.”
“ Hech ! it’s nae hurt—it’s deed I am, fair deed;
killed be a whaumlskamerin’ young blagyird. Oh,
ma puir heed!"
The manner and tone in which this was said con- ,
vinced me that old Agnes was more frightened than
injured. In a few minutes the soothing tones and
kind manner of my friend had such an effect upon
her that she declared she was better, and believed
after all that she was only a “wee bit frichtened.”
Nay, so completely was she conciliated, that she
insisted on conveying the note to the post-office,
despite Peterkin’s assurance that he would not hear
of it. Finally she hobbled out of the room with the
letter in her hand.
It is interesting to note, how that, in most of the


22 Exrsc'ruron.
affairs of humanity, things turn out very different,
often totally different, from what we had expected
or imagined. During the remainder of that evening
Peterkin and I talked frequently and much of our old
friend Jack Martin. We recalled his manly yet
youthful countenance, his bold lion-like courage, his
broad shoulders and winning gentle smile, and,
although we knew that six years must have made an
immense difference in his personal appearance—for
he was not much more than eighteen when we last
parted—we could not think of him except as a hearty,
strapping, sailor boy. We planned, too, how we
would meet him at the coach ; how we would stand
aside in the crowd until he began to look about for
us in surprise, and then one of us would step forward
, and ask if he wished to be directed to any particular
part of the town, and so lead him on and talk to him
as a stranger for some time before revealing who
we were. And much more to the same efl'ect. But
when next day came our plans and our conceptions
were utterly upset.
A little before two we sauntered down to the
coach-office, and waited impatiently for nearly twenty
minutes. Of course the coach was late; it always
is on such occasions!
“ Suppose he does not come,” said I.
“What a fellow you are,” cried Peterkin, “to


DISAPPOI‘NTMENT. 23
make uncomfortable suppositions I Let us rather
suppose that he does come.”
“ Oh, then, it would be all right; but if he does
not come, what then 2 ”
“ “Thy, then, it would be all wrong, and we should
have to return home and eat our dinner in the sulks,
that’s all.”
As my companion spoke we observed the coach
come sweeping round the turn of the road about half
a mile distant. In a few seconds it dashed into the
town at full gallop, and finally drew up abruptly
opposite the door of the inn, where were assembled
the usual group. of hostlers and waiters and people
who expected friends by the coach.
“ He’s not there,” whispered Peterkin in deep
disappointment; “ at least he’s not on the outside,
and Jack would never travel inside of a coach even
in bad weather, much less in fine. That’s not him
on the back-seat beside the fat old woman with the
blue bundle, surely! It’s very like him, but too
young, much too young. There’s a great giant of a
man on the box-seat with a beard like a grenadier’s
shacko, and a stout old gentleman behind him with
gold spectacles. That’s all, except two boys further
aft, and three ladies in the cabin. I Oh, what a
bore!”
Although deeply disappointed at the non-arrival


24: DISAPPOIN TMEN T.
of Jack, I could with difficulty refrain from smiling
at the rueful and woe-begone countenance of my
poor companion. It was evident that he could not
bear disappointment with equanimity, and I was on
the point of offering some consolatory remarks when
my attention was attracted by the little old woman
with the blue bundle, who went up to the gigantic
man with the black beard, and in the gentlest pos-
sible tone of voice asked if he could direct her to the
white house.
“ No, madam,” replied the big man hastily, “ I’m
a stranger here.”
The little old woman was startled by his abrupt
answer,—“ Deary me, sir, no offence I hope."
She then turned to Peterkin, and put the same
question, possibly under a vague sort of impression
that if a. gigantic frame betokened a gruff nature,
diminutive stature must necessarily imply extreme
amiability. If so, she must have been much sur-
prised as well as disappointed, for Peterkin, rendered
irascible by disappointment, turned short round and
said sharply, “Why, madam, how can I tell you
where the white house is, unless you say which
white house you want._ Half the houses of the town
are white—at least they’re dirty white,” he added,
bitterly, as he turned away.
“I think I can direct you, ma’am,” said I, step-


VERY CONSIDERATE. 25
ping quickly up with a bland smile, in order to
counteract if possible my companion’s rudeness.
“ Thank you, sir, kindly,” said the little old
woman, “I’m glad to find some little civility in the
town.”
“ Come with me, ma’am; I am going past the
white house, and will show you the way.”
“ And pray, sir,” said the big stranger, stepping
up to me as I was about to move away, “can you
recommend me to a good hotel ? ”
I replied that I could; that there was one in the
immediate vicinity of the white house, and that if he
(would accompany me, I would show him the way.
All this I did purposely in a very affable and oblig-
ing tone and manner; for I hold that example is
infinitely better than precept, and always endeavour
if possible to overcome evil with good. I offered
my arm to the old woman, who thanked me, and
took it.
“ What I ” whispered Peterkin, “ you don’t mean
me to take this great ugly gorilla in tow ? ”
“ Of course,” replied I, laughing, as I led the
way.
Immediately I entered into conversation with my
companion, and I heard “ the gorilla” attempt to do
so with Peterkin ; but from the few sharp cross
replies that reached my ear, I became aware that he


26 A sunrmsa
was unsuccessful. In the course of a few minutes,
however, he appeared to have overcome his com-
panion’s ill-humour, for I overheard their voices
growing louder and more animated as they walked
behind me.
Suddenly I heard a shout, and, turning hastily
round, observed Peterkin struggling in the arms of
the gorilla ! Amazed beyond measure at the sight,
and firmly persuaded that a cowardly assault had
been made upon my friend, I seized the old woman’s
umbrella, as the only available weapon, and flew to
the rescue.
“Jack, my boy! can it be possible ! ” gasped
Peterkin.
“ I believe it is,” replied Jack, laughing. “Ralph,
my dear old fellow, how are you ’i ”
I stood petrified. I believed that I was in a
dream. I know not what occurred during the next
five minutes. All I could remember with anything
like distinctness was a succession of violent screams
from the little old woman, who fled shouting thieves
and murder at the full pitch of her voice. We
never saw that old woman again, but I made a point
of returning her umbrella to the “ white house.”
Gradually we became collected and sane.
“ Why, Jack, how did you find us out?” cried
Peterkin, as we all hurried on to my lodgings, totally


A sunrmsn. 27'
forgetful of the little old woman whom as I have said,
we never saw again, but who, I sincerely trust, arrived
at the white house in safety.
“ Find you out! I knew you the moment I set
eyes on you. Ralph puzzled me for a second, he has
grown so much stouter, but I should know your nose,
Peterkin, at a mile off.”
“ Well, Jack, I did not know you,” retorted
Peterkin, “but I’m safe never again to forget you.
Such a great hairy cossack as you have become!
Why, what do you mean by it?”
“ I couldn’t help it, please,” pleaded Jack, “ I grew
in spite of myself, but I think I’ve stopped now.”
“ It’s time,” remarked Peterkin.
Jack had indeed grown to a size that men seldom
attain to without losing in grace infinitely more than
they gain in bulk, but he had retained all the elegance
of form and sturdy vigour of action that had charac-
terized him as a boy. He was fully six feet two
inches in his stockings, but so perfect were his
proportions that his great height did not become
apparent until you came close up to him. Full half
of his handsome manly face was hid by a bushy black
beard and moustache, and his curly hair had been
allowed to grow luxuriantly, so that his whole aspect
was more like to the descriptions we have of one of
the old Scandinavian Vi-Kings than a gentleman of


28 PETERKIN’S PLANS.
the present time. In whatever company he chanced
to be he towered high above every one else, and I am
satisfied that, had he walked down Whitechapel the
horse guards would have appeared small beside him,
for he possessed not only great length of limb but
immense breadth of chest and shoulders.
During our walk to my lodgings Peterkin hurriedly
stated his “ plan and proposal” which caused Jack to
laugh very much at first, but in a few minutes he
became grave and said slowly, “That will just suit,
it will do exactly.”
“What will do exactly? Do be more explicit,
man,” said Peterkin with some impatience.
“ I’ll go with you, my boy.”
“Will you?” cried Peterkin seizing his hand and
shaking it violently, “I knew you would. I said it;
didn’t I, Ralph? And now We shall be sure of a
gorilla if there’s one in Africa, for I’ll use you as a
stalking-horse.”
“ Indeed!” exclaimed Jack.
“Yes, I’ll put a bear-skin or some sort of fur on
your shoulders, and tie a lady’s boa to you for a tail,
and send you into the woods. The gorillas will be
sure to mistake you for a relative until you get quite
close, then, you’ll take one pace to the left with the
left foot (as the volunteers say), I’ll take one to the
front with the right—at fifty yards, ready— present


PETERKIN’S PLANS. 29
-—ba.ng, and down goes the huge puggy with a bullet
right between its two eyes! There. And Ralph’s
agreed to go too.”
“ O Peterkin, I’ve done nothing of the sort. You
proposed '1 I”
“ Well, and isn’t that the same thing. I wonder,
Ralph, that you can give way to such mean-spirited
prevarication. What? ‘It’s not prevarication!’ Don’t
say that now, you know it is, ah ! you may laugh,
my boy, but you have promised to go with me and
Jack to Africa, and go you shall.”
And so, reader, it was ultimately settled, and in
the course of two weeks more we three were on our
way to the land of the slave, the black savage, and
the gorilla.


30 use IN THE WILD Woons.
CHAPTER II.
LIFE IN THE WILD WOODS.
ONE night, about five or six weeks after our resolution
to go to Africa on a. hunting expedition was formed:
I put to myself the question, “ Can it be possible that
we are actually here, in the midst of it '1”
“ Certainly, my boy, in the very thick of it,”
answered Peterkin, in a tone of voice which made
Jack laugh while I started and exclaimed,—
“Why, Peterkin, how did you come to guess my
thoughts?”
“Because, Ralph, you have got into a habit of
thinking aloud, which may do very well as long as
you have no secrets to keep; but it may prove incon-
venient some day, so I warn you in time.”
Not feeling disposed at that time to enter into a
bantering conversation with my volatile companion I
made no reply, but abandoned myself again to the
pleasing fancies and feelings which were called up by
the singular scene in the midst of which I found
myself.
It seemed as if it were but yesterday when we
drove about the crowded streets of London making
the necessary purchases for our intended journey, and


LIFE IN THE WILD woons. 31
now as I gazed around, every object that met my
eye seemed strange, and wild, and foreign, and
romantic. We three were reclining round an enormous
wood fire in the midst of a great forest, the trees and
plants of which were quite new to me, and totally
unlike those of my native land. Rich luxuriance of
vegetation was the feature that filled my mind most.
Tall palms surrounded us, throwing their broad leaves
overhead and partially concealing the star-lit sky.
Thick tough limbs of creeping plants and wild vines
twisted and twined round everything and over every-
thing, giving to the woods an appearance of tangled
impenetrability; but the beautiful leaves of some,
and the delicate tendrils of others, half concealed
the sturdy limbs of the trees, and threw over the
whole a certain air of wild grace, as might a semi-
transparent and beautiful robe if thrown around the
form of a savage.
The effect of a strong fire in the woods at night
is to give to surrounding space an appearance of
ebony blackness, against which dark ground the
' gnarled stems and branches and pendant foliage
appear as if traced out in light and lovely colours,
which are suffused with a rich warm tone from the
blaze.
We were now in the wilds of Africa, although, as
I have said, I found it difficult to believe the fact.


32 .mcx’s CHARACTER.
Jack and I wore loose brown shooting-coats and
pantaloons, but we had made up our minds to giVe
up waistcoats and neckcloths, so that our scarlet
flannel shirts with turned down collars gave to us
quite a picturesque and brigand-like appearance, as
we encircled the blaze, Peterkin smoking vigorously,
for he had acquired that bad and very absurd habit
at sea. Jack smoked, too, but he was not so invete-
rate as Peterkin.
Jack was essentially moderate in his nature. He
did nothing violently or in a hurry; but this does
not imply that he was slow or lazy. He was leisurely
in disposition, and circumstances seldom required him
to be otherwise. When Peterkin or I had to lift
heavy weights we were obliged to exert our utmost
strength and agitate our whole frames; but Jack was
so powerful that a comparatively slight effort was all
that he was usually obliged to make. Again, when
we two'were in a hurry we walked quickly, but Jack’s
long limbs enabled him to keep up with us without
effort. Nevertheless there were times when he was
called upon to act quickly and with energy. On
those occasions he was as active as Peterkin himself,
but his movements were tremendous. It was, I may
almost say, awful to behold Jack when acting under
powerful excitement. He was indeed a splendid
fellow, and not by any means deserving of the


OUR COSTUMES. 33
name of gorilla, which Peterkin had bestowed on
But to continue my description of our costume.
We all wore home-spun grey trousers of strong
material, Peterkin and Jack wore leggings in addition,
so that they seemed to have on what are now termed
knickerbockers. Peterkin, however, had no coat.
He preferred a stout grey flannel shirt hanging down
to his knees and belted round his waist in the form
of a tunic. Our tastes in head-dress were varied.
Jack wore a pork-pie cap. Peterkin and I had wide-
awakes. My facetious little companion said that Iliad
selected this species of bat because I was always more
than half asleep 3 Being peculiar in everything
Peterkin wore his wide-awake in an unusual manner,
namely, turned up at the back, down at the front
and curled very much up at the sides.
We were so filled with admiration of Jack’s magni—
ficient beard and moustache that Peterkin and I had
resolved to cultivate ours while in Africa, but I must
say that, as I looked at Peterkin’s face, the additional
hair was not at that time an improvement, and I
believe that much more could not have been said for
myself. The effect on my little comrade was to
cause the loWer part of his otherwise good-looking
face to appear extremely dirty.
“ I Wonder,” said Peterkin after a long silence, “ if
3


34 ENTHUSIASM.
we shall reach the Niggers’ village in time for the
hunt to-morrow. I fear that we have spent too much
time in this wild-goose chase.”
“ Wild-goose chase, Peterkin l” I exclaimed. “ Do
you call hunting the gorilla by such a term?”
“ Hunting the gorilla? no, certainly, but looking
for the gorilla in a part of the woods where no such
beast was ever heard of since Adam was a school-
boy—”
“ Nay, Peter-kin,” interrupted Jack, “we are getting
very near to the gorilla country, and you must make
allowance for the enthusiasm of a naturalist.”
“ Ah! we shall see where the naturalist’s enthusiasm
will fly to when we actually do come face to face
with the big puggy.”
“Well,” said I, apologetically, “ I won’t press you
to go hunting again; I’ll be content to follow.”
“Press me, my dear Ralph,” exclaimed Peterkin
hastily, fearing that he had hurt my feelings, “ why,
man, I do but jest with you, you are so horridly
literal, I’m overjoyed to be pressed to go on the
maddest wild-goose chase that ever was invented.
My greatest delight would be to go gorilla-hunting
down Fleet Street, if you were so disposed. But to
be serious, Jack, do you think we shall be in time
for the elephant-hunt to-morrow?”
“ Ay, in capital time, if you don’t knock up.”


EFFECTS or noasr MONKEY. 35
“ What! I knock up! I’ve a good mind to knock
you down for suggesting such an egregious impossi-
bility.”
“ That’s an impossibility anyhow, Peterkin, because
I’m down already,” said Jack, yawning lazily and
stretching out his limbs in a more comfortable and
degagé manner.
Peterkin seemed to ponder as he smoked his pipe
for some time in silence
“Ralph,” said he, looking up suddenly, “I don’t
feel a bit sleepy, and yet I’m tired enough.”
“ You are smoking too much, perhaps,” I suggested.
“ It’s not that,” cried Jack, “ he has eaten too
much supper.”
“ Base insinuation!” retorted Peterkin.
“ Then it must be the monkey. That’s it. Roast
monkey does not agree with you.”
“ Do you know, I shouldn’t wonder if you were
right; and it’s a pity, too, for we shall have to live a
good deal on such fare, I believe. However, I suppose,
we shall get used to it. But I say, boys, isn’t it jolly
to be out here living like savages. I declare it seems
to me like a dream, or a romance. Just look, Ralph, at
the strange wild creepers that are festooned overhead,
and the great tropical leaves behind us, and the clear
sky above, with the moon—ah! the moon, yes that’s
one comfort, the moon is unchanged. The same


36 AN ALARM.
moon that smiles down upon us through a tangled
mesh-work of palm leaves and wild vines and
monkey’s tails, is peeping down the chimney-pots of
London, and Edinburgh, and Dublin!"
“ Why, Peterkin, you must have studied hard in
early life to be so good a geographer.”
“ Rather,” observed Peterkin.
“Yes, and look at the strange character of the tree-
stems,” said I, unwilling to allow the subject to drop.
“ See those huge palmettoes like—like—”
“ Overgrown cabbages,” suggested Peterkin; and,
he continued, “ Observe the quaint originality of form
in the body and limbs of that bloated old spider that
is crawling up your leg, Ralph!”
I started involuntarily, for there is no creature of
which I have a greater abhorrence than a spider.
“Where is it? oh! I see,” and the next moment I
secured my prize and placed it with loathing, but
interest, in my entomological box.
At that moment a hideous roar rang through the
woods seeminglyclose behind us. We all started to our
feet and seizing our rifles, which lay beside us ready
loaded, cocked them and drew close together round
the fire.
“This won’t do, lads,” said Jack, after a few minutes'
breathless suspense, during which the only sound we
could hear was the beating of our own hearts, “ we


AN ALARM. 37
have allowed the fire to get too low, and we’ve for-
gotten to adopt our friend the traders advice, and
make two fires.”
So saying, Jack laid down his rifle, and kicking
the logs with his heavy boot, sent up such a cloud of
bright sparks as must certainly have scared the wild
animal, whatever it was, away; for we heard no
more of it that night. _
“You’re right, Jack,” remarked Peterkin, “so let
us get up a blaze as fast as we can, and I’ll take the
first watch, not being sleepy. Come along.”
In a few minutes we cut down with our axes a
suflicient quantity of dry wood to keep two large
fires going all night; we then kindled our second fire
at a few yards distant from the first, and made our
camp between them. This precaution we took in
order to scare away the wild animals whose cries we
heard occasionally during the night. Peterkin,
having proposed to take the first watch—for we had
to watch by turns all the night through—lighted his
pipe and sat down before the cheerful fire with his
back against the stem of a palm tree, and his rifle
lying close to his hand to be ready in case of a
surprise. There were many natives wandering about
in that neighbourhood, some of whom might be
ignorant of our having arrived at their village on. a
peaceful errand. If these should have chanced to


38 mvormc IN THE woons.
come upon us suddenly there was no saying what
they might do in their surprise and alarm, so it
behoved us to be on our guard.
Jack and I unrolled the light blankets that we
carried strapped to our shoulders through the day,
and, laying ourselves down side by side, with our
feet to the fire and our heads pillowed on a soft pile
of sweet-scented grass, we adressed ourselves to sleep.
But sleep did not come so soon as we expected. I
have often noted with some surprise and much interest
the curious phases of the phenomenon of sleep.
When I have gone to bed, excessively fatigued and
expecting to fall asleep almost at once, I have been
surprised and annoyed to find that the longer I wooed
the drowsy god the longer be refused to come to me,
and at last, when I have given up the attempt in
despair, he has suddenly laid his gentle hand upon
my eyes and carried me into the land of Nod.
Again, when I have been exceedingly anxious to
keep awake, I have been attacked by sleep with such
irresistible energy that I have been utterly unable to
keep my eyelids Open or my head erect, and have sat
with my eyes blinking like those of an owl in the
sunshine, and my head nodding like that of a Chinese
manderin.
On this our first night in the African bush, at
least our first night on a hunting expedition,—we had


BIVOUAC IN THE woons. 39
been many nights in the woods on our journey to
that spot—on this night, I say, Jack and I could
by no means get to sleep for a very long time after
we lay down, but continued to gaze up through the
leafy screen overhead at the stars which seemed to
wink at us, I almost fancied, jocosely. We did not
speak to each other, but purposely kept silence. After
a time, however, Jack groaned, and said softly,—
“ Ralph, are you asleep 2”
“ No,” said I, yawning.
“ I’m quite sure that Peterkin is,” added Jack,
raising his head and looking across the fire at the
half recumbent form of our companion.
“ Is he?” said Peterkin in a low tone, “ Just about
as sound as a weasel l”
“ Jack,” said I.
“ Well 2”
“ I can’t sleep a winkpye-a-ow l isn’t it odd ’l”
“ No more can I. Do you know, Ralph, I've been
counting the red berries in that tree above me for
half an hour in the hope that the monotony of the
thing would send me off ; but I was interrupted by
a small monkey who has been sitting up among the
branches and making faces at me for full twenty
minutes. There it is yet, I believe. Do you see it?” 1
" No; where?”
“ Almost above your head.”
I. n_ ,. __


40 oumous PHENOMENA.
I gazed-upward intently for afew minutes, until I
thought I saw the monkey, but it was very indistinct.
Gradually, however, it became more defined; then
to my surprise it turned out to be the head of an
elephant! I was not only amazed but startled at this.
“ Get your rifle, Jack 2” said I in a low whisper.
Jack made some sort of reply, but his voice
sounded hollow and indistinct. Then I looked up
again and saw that it was the head of a hippopota-
mus, not that of an elephant, which was looking down
at me. Curiously enough I felt little or no surprise at
this, and when, in the course of a few minutes, I ob-
served a pair of horns growing out of the creature’s
eyes and a bushy tail standing erect on the apex of
its head, I ceased to be astonished at the sight alto-
gether, and regarded it as quite natural and common-
place. The object afterwards assumed the appearance
of a lion with a crocodile’s tail and a serpent with a
monkey’s head, and lastly of a gorilla, without pro-
ducing in me any other feeling than that of profound
indifference. Gradually the whole scene vanished,
and I became totally oblivious.
This state of happy unconsciousness had scarcely
lasted—it seemed to me—two minutes, when I was
awakened by Peterkin laying his hand on my
shoulder and saying,—
“ Now then, Ralph, it’s time to rouse up.”
'A—Ihw—v‘ W V.-~'/~._.m/— W~ g. . . ‘- ..._ _


42 KEEPING wn'rcn.
I now began to feel quite interested in my respon-
sible position as guardian of the camp. I examined
my rifle to see that it was in order and capped; then,
leaning against the palm-tree, which was, as it were,
my sentry-box, I stood erect and rubbed my hands
and took off my cap so that the pleasant night air
might play about my temples, and more effectually
banish drowsiness.
In order to accomplish this more thoroughly, I
walked round both fires and readjusted the logs,
sending up showers of sparks as I did so. Then I
went to the edge of the circle of light, in the centre
of which our camp lay, and peered into the gloom of
the dark forest.
There was something inexpressibly delightful, yet
solemn in my feelings as I gazed into that profound
obscurity where the great tree stems and the wild
gigantic foliage nearest to me appeared ghost-like and
indistinct, and the deep solitudes of which were
peopled, not only with the strange fantastic forms
of my excited fancy, but, as I knew full well, with
real wild creatures, both huge and small, such as my
imagination at that time had not fully conceived. I
felt awed, almost oppressed with the deep silence
around, and, I must confess, looked somewhat ner-
vously over my shoulder as I returned to the fire
and sat down to keep watch at my post.


I MOUNT GUARD. 43
CHAPTER III.
WHEREIN I MOUNT GUARD, AND H0\V I DID IT, ETC.
NOW, it so happened that the battle which I had to
fight with myself after taking my post was precisely
the converse of that which I fought during the
earlier part of that night. Then, it was a battle with
wakefulness ; now, it was a struggle with sleep; and
of the two fights the latter was the more severe by
far.
I began by laying down my rifle close by my side,
leaning back in a sitting posture against the palm-
tree, and resigning myself to the contemplation of the
fire, which burned merrily before me, while I pon-
dered with myself how I should best employ my
thoughts during the three long hours of my watch.
But I had not dwelt on that subject more than three
minutes when I was rudely startled by my own head
falling suddenly and heavily forward on my chest.
I immediately roused myself. “Ah ! Ralph, Ralph,”
said I to myself in a whisper, “this won’t do, lad; to
sleep at your post! shame on you! Had you been
a sentinel in time of war that nod would have cost
you your life, supposing you to have been caught in
the act."


44 I nounr omen.
Soliloquizing thus, I arose and shook myself. Then
I slapped my chest several times and pulled my nose
and sat down' again. Only a few minutes elapsed
before the same thing occurred to me again, so I
leaped up, and mended the fires, and walked to and
fro, until I felt thoroughly awake, but in order to
make sure that it should not occur again I walked to
the edge of the circle of light and gazed for some time
into the dark forest, as I had done before. While
standing thus I felt my knees give way, as if they
had been suddenly paralyzed, and I awoke just in time
to prevent myself falling to the ground. I must con-
fess I was much amazed at this, for, although I had
often read of soldiers falling asleep standing at their
posts, I had never believed the thing possible.
I now became rather anxious, “for,” thought I,
“if I go to sleep, and the fires die down, who knows
but wild beasts may come upon us and kill us before
we can seize our arms.” For a moment or two I
meditated awaking Jack and begging him to keep
me company, but when I reflected that his watch
was to come immediately after mine, I had not the
heart to do it. “ No l” said I (and I said it aloud
for the purpose of preventing drowsiness), “ no, I will
fight this battle alone I I will repeat some stanzas
from my favourite authors. Yes, I will try to re-
member a portion of ‘ Midsummer Night’s Dream.’
1:


ANOTHER ALARM. 45
It will be somewhat appropriate to my present cir-
cumstances.”
Big with this resolve I sat down with my face to
the fire and my back to the palm-tree, and—-fell
sound asleep instantly 1
How longiI lay in this condition I know not, but
I was suddenly awakened by a yell s0 appalling that
my heart leaped as if into my throat, and my nerves
thrilled with horror. For one instant I was
paralyzed; then my blood seemed to rebound on its
course. I sprang up and attempted to seize my rifle.
The reader may judge of my state of mind when
I observed that it was gone 1 I leaped towards the
fire, and grasping a lighted brand turned round and
glared into the woods in the direction whence the
yell came.
It was grey dawn, and I could see things pretty
distinctly -, but the only living object that met my
gaze was Peterkin, who stood with my rifle in his
hand laughing heartily !
I immediately turned to look at Jack who was
sitting up in the spot where he had passed the night,
with a sleepy smile on his countenance.
“Why, what’s the meaning of this?“ I inquired.
“The meaning of it?” cried Peterkin as he ad—
vanced and restored the rifle to its place. “ A pretty
fellow you are to mount guard; We might have been


46 A REBUKE.
all murdered in our sleep by niggers 0r eaten alive
by gorillas, for all that you would have 'done to save
us.”
" But, Peterkin,” said I gravely, “ you ought not
to have startled me so; you gave me a terrible fright.
People have been driven mad before now, I assure
you, by such practical jokes.”
“ My dear fellow,” cried Peterkin with much ear-
nestness, “ I know that as well as you. But, in
the first place, you were guilty of so heinous a- crime
that I determined to punish you, and at the same
time to do it in a way that would impress it forcibly
on your memory ; and, in the second place, I would
not have done it at all had I not known that your
nerves are as strong as those of a dray horse. You
ought to be taking shame to yourself on account of
your fault rather than objecting to your punishment.”
“ Peterkin is right, my boy,” said Jack, laughing,
“though I must say he had need be sure of the
nerves of any one to whom he intends to administer
such a ferocious yell as that. Anyhow, I have no
reason to complain, for you have given me a good
long sleep; although I can’t‘ say exactly that you
have taken my watch. It will be broad-daylight in
half an hour, so we must be stirring, comrades.”
On considering the subject I admitted the force of
these remarks, and felt somewhat crest-fallen. No


A REBUKE. 47
doubt, my companions had treated the thing jocularly,
and to say truth there was much that was comical in
the wh ole affair, but the more I thought of it, the more
I came to perceive how terrible might have been the.
consequences of my unfaithfulness as a sentinel. I
laid the lesson to heart, and I can truly say that
from that day to this I have never again been guilty
of the crime of sleeping at my post.
We now busied ourselves in collecting together
the dying embers of our fire and in preparing break-
fast, which consisted of tea, hard biscuit, and cold
monkey. None of us liked the monkey,——not that its
flesh was had; quite the contrary; but it looked so
like a small roasted baby that we could not relish
it at all. However, it was all we had, for we had
set off on this hunting excursion intending to live
by our rifles, but had been unfortunate, having seen
nothing except a monkey or two.
The kettle was soon boiled, and we sat down to
our meagre fare with hearty appetites. While we
are thus engaged, I shall turn aside for a little and
tell the reader, in one or two brief sentences, how we
got to this place.
We shipped in a merchant ship at Liverpool, and
sailed for the west coast of Africa. Arrived there '
we found a party, under the command of a Portu-
guese trader, about to set off to the interior. He


48 ' AFRICAN TRADE.
could speak a little English; so we arranged to go
with him as far as he intended to proceed, learn as
much of the native language as possible while in his
company, and then obtain a native guide to conduct
us to the country in which the gorillas are found.
To this native guide, we arranged, should be explained
by the trader our object in visiting the country, so
that he might tell the tribes whom we intended to
visit. This, we found, was an absolutely needful
precaution on the following ground.
The natives of Africa have a singular and very
bad style of carrying on trade with the white men
who visit their shores. The traffic consists chiefly of
ivory ; bar-wood, a wood much used in dyeing ; and
india-rubber. The natives of the far interior are not
allowed to convey these commodities directly to the
coast, but by the law of the land (which means the law
of the strongest,-—-for they are absolute savages), are
obliged to deliver their goods to the care of the
tribe next to them; these pass them on to the next
tribe; and so on they go from tribe to tribe till
they reach the coast, where they are sold by the
tribe there. The price obtained, which usually con-
sists of guns, powder and shot, looking-glasses, cloth,
and sundry other articles and trinkets useful to men
in a savage state, is returned to the owners in the far
interior through the same channel ; but as each


JEALOUSY or NATIONS. 49
tribe deducts a percentage for its trouble, the price
dwindles down as it goes, until a mere trifle,- some-
times nothing at all, remains to be handed over to the
unfortunate people of the tribe who originally sent
off the goods for sale. Of course, such a system
almost paralyzes trade. But the intermediate tribes
between the coast and the interior, being the gainers
by this system, are exceedingly jealous of anything
like an attempt to carry on direct trade. They are
ready to go to war with the tribes of the interior
should they attempt it, and they throw all the
opposition they can in the way of the few white men
who ever penetrate the interior for such a purpose.
It will thus be seen that our travels would be
hindered very much, if not stopped altogether, and
ourselves be regarded with jealousy, or perhaps mur-
dered, if our motives in going inland were not fully
and satisfactorily explained to the different tribes as
we passed through their lands. And we therefore
proposed to overcome the difficulty by taking a
native guide with us from the tribe with which we
should chance to be residing when obliged to separate
from the Portuguese trader.
\Ve had now reached this point. The day before
that on which we encamped in the woods, as above
related, we arrived at a native village, and had been
received kindly by the king. Almost immediately
4 .
a


50 mnsmsm.
after our arrival we heard so many stories about
gorillas that I felt persuaded we should fall inwith one
if we went a-hnnting, and, being exceedingly anxious
to add one to my collection of animals,—for I had
a small museum at home,—-I prevailed on Jack and
Peterkin to go one day’s journey into the bush to
look for them. They laughed very much at me
indeed, and said that we were still very far away
from the gorilla country; but I had read in some
work on Africa a remark to the effect that there is
no cordillera, or mountain range, extending across
the whole continent to limit the habitat of certain
classes of animals, and I thought that if any animal
in Africa would not consent to remain in one region
when it wished to go to another, that animal must
be the ferocious gorilla. The trader also laughed at
me, and said that he had never seen any himself in
that region, and that we would have to cross the
desert before seeing them. Still, I felt a disposition
to try; besides, I felt certain that we should at least
fall in with some sort of animals, or plants, or
minerals that would be worth collecting; so it was
agreed that we should go out for a single day, and
be back in time for a great elephant hunt which was
about to take place.
But, to return from this digression, having finished
breakfast, we made three bundles or packages of our


FIRST HUNTING EXPEDITION.
wandered on the coral beach, and visited'Penguiu
Island, and dived into the cave to escape the pirates.
The whole scene rises up before me so vividly that I
could fancy we were still there. Ah! these were
happy times.”
“So they were,” cried Peterkin, “but don’t you
go and become sentimentally sad, Ralph, when you
talk of those happy days. If we were happy
there, are we not happy here? There’s no change
in us except, indeed, that Jack has become a.
gorilla.”
“ Ay, and you a monkey,” retorted Jack.
“True; and Ralph a naturalist, which is the
strangest beast of all,” added Peterkin. “Can you
tell me, Ralph, by the way, what tree that
is?”
“ I’m sure I cannot tell. Never saw or heard of
one like it before,” I replied, looking at the tree
referred to with some interest. It was a fine tree,
butthe great beauty about it was the gorgeous fruit
with which it was laden. It hung in the form of
bunches of large grapes, and was of the brightest
scarlet colour. The glowing bunches seemed like
precious gems glittering amongst the green foliage,
and I observed that a few monkeys and several
parrots were peeping at us through the branches.
“It seems good for food,” said Jack. “ You’d


PETERKIN A PHILOSOPHER. 53
better climb up, Peterkin, and pull a few bunches.
The puggies won’t mind you, of course, being one of
themselves.”
“ Ralph,” said Peterkin, turning to me, and deign-
ing no reply to Jack, “ you call yonrself a naturalist,
so I suppose you are acquainted with the habits of
monkeys, and can turn your knowledge to practical
account.” I
“ Well,” I replied, “I know something about the
monkey tribes, but I cannot say that at this moment
I remember any particular habit of which we might
avail ourselves”
“Do you not? Well, now, that’s odd. I’m a
student of nature myself, and I have picked up a
little useful knowledge in the course of my travels.
Did you ever travel so far as the Zoological Gardens
in London?”
“ Of course I have done so, often.”
“ And did you ever observe a peculiar species of
monkey, which, when you made a face at it, instantly
flew into a towering passion, and shook the bars of
its cage until you expected to see them broken?”
“Yes,” said I, laughing, “what then 1”
“ Look here, you naturalist, and I’ll put a wrinkle
on your horn. Yonder hangs a magnificent bunch
of fruit that I very much desire to possess.”
“But it’s too high to reach,” said I.


54 CLEVER DEVICES.
“But there’s a monkey sitting beside it,” said
Peterkin.
“I see. You don’t expect him to pull it and
throw it down, do you ?”
“Oh no, certainly not; but—.” Here Peterkin
stepped up to the tree, and looking up at the monkey,
said, “ O-o-o-oo-o Z” angrily.
“ O-o-o-oo-oo 1” replied the monkey, stretching
out its neck and looking down with an expression
of surprise and indignation, as if to say, “What on
earth do you mean by that 2”
“ Oo-o-o-oo-o !” roared Peterkin.
Hereupon the monkey uttered a terrific shriek of
passion, exposed all its teeth and gums, glared at its
adversary like a little fiend, and seizing the branch
with both hands, shook it with all its might. The
result was, that not only did the coveted bunch of
fruit fall to the ground, but a perfect shower of
bunches came down, one of which hit Jack on the
forehead, and, bursting there, sent its fragrant juice
clown his face and into his beard, While the parrots
and all the other monkeys took to flight, shrieking
with mingled terror and rage.
“ You see I’m a practical man,” observed Peterkin
quietly, as he picked up the fruit and began to eat
it. “ Knowledge is power, my boy. A man with a
philosophical turn of mind like yourself ought to have


WILD ANIMALS. 55
been up to a dodge of this sort. How capital this fruit
is, to be sure! Does it make good pomade, Jack ’6”
“ Excellent ; but as I’m not in the habit of using
pomade, I shall wash this out of my beardas quickly
as possible.”
While Jack went to a brook that ran close to
where we stood, I tasted the fruit and found it most
excellent, the pulp being juicy, with a very pleasant
flavour:
While we were thus engaged a wild pig ran
grunting past us.
“ Doesn’t that remind you of some of our doings
on the coral island, Ralph C?” said Peterkin.
Before I could reply a herd of lovely small gazelles
flew past. Our rifles were lying on the ground, and
before either of us could take aim the swift creatures
were lost sight of in the thick underwood. Peterkin
fired one shot at a venture, but without any result.
We were still deploring our stupidity in not having
our rifles handy when a strange sound was heard in
the distance. By this time Jack had come up, so
we all three sized our rifles and listened intently.
The sound was evidently approaching. It was a low
dull booming roar which at one moment seemed to be
distant thunder, at another, the cry of some huge
animal in rage or pain. Presently the beating of
heavy hoofs on the turf and the crash of branches


56 DANGER APPROACHES.
was heard. Each of us sprang instinctively towards
a tree, feeling that, if danger were near, its trunk
would afi'ord us some protection.
Being ignorant, as yet, of the cries of the various
wild beasts inhabiting those woods, we were greatly
at a loss to determine what creature it could be that
approached at such headlong speed. That its mad
career was caused by fear soon became apparent, for
the tones of terror either in man or beast, when
distinctly heard, cannot be mistaken.
Immediately in front of the spot where we stood
was an open space or glade of considerable extent.
Towards this the animal approached, as was evident
from the increasing loudness of its wild roar which
was almost continuous. In another moment the.
thick wall of underwood at its further extremity was
burst asunder with a crash, and a wild bufl‘alo 'bull
bounded into the plain and dashed madly across.
On its neck was crouched a leopard which had fixed
its claws and teeth deep in the flesh of the agonized
animal. In vain did the bull bound and rear, toss
and plunge. At one moment it ran like the wind—-
the next it stopped with such violence as to tear up
the turf and scatter it around. Then it reared, almost
falling back; anon it plunged and rushed on again,
with the foam flying from its mouth, and its blood-
shot eyes glaring with the fire of rage and terror,


A DIFFICULTY. 57
while the woods seemed to tremble with its loud and
deep-toned bellowing. Twice in its passage across
the open glade it ran, in its blind fury, straight
against a tree, almost beating in its skull, and, for a
moment, arresting its progress; but it instantly
recovered the shock and burst away again as madly
as ever. But no effort that it was capable of making
could relieve the poor creature from its deadly burden,
or cause the leopard in the slightest degree to relax
its fatal gripe.
It chanced that the wild bull’s mad gallop was in
a direction that brought it within a few yards of the
spot where we stood, so we prepared to put an end
to its misery. As it drew near, Jack, who was in
advance, raised his rifle. I, being only a short distance
from him, also made ready to fire, although I confess
that in the agitation of the moment I could not make
up my mind whether I should fire at the buffalo or
the leopard. As far as I can recall my rapid and
disjointed thoughts on that exciting occasion, I
reasoned thus, “If I shoot the leopard, the bull will
escape, and if I shoot the bull the leopard will escape.”
It did not occur to me at that trying moment, when
self—possession and decision were so necessary, that I
might shoot the hull with one barrel, and the leopard
with the other. Still less did it occur to me that I
might miss bull and leopard altogether.


58 PETERKIN IN DANGER.
While I was engaged in this hurried train of
troubled thought, Jack fired both barrels of his rifle
one after the other as quickly as possible. The bull
stumbled forward upon its knees. In order to make
assurance doubly sure I aimed at its head and fired
both barrels at once. Instantly the bull rose, with
a hideous bellow, and stood for one moment irresolute
glaring at its new enemies. The leopard, I observed,
was no longer on its back. At this moment I heard
an exclamation of anger, and looking round I observed
Peterkin struggling violently in the grasp of one of
the wild vines or thorny plants, which abound in
some parts of the African forests and render them
almost impassable. It seems that as the bull drew
near, Peterkin, who like Jack and me was preparing
to shoot, found that a dense thicket came between
him and the game, so as to prevent his firing. He
leaped nimbly over a bush intending to run to another
spot whence he could more conveniently take aim,
but found himself, as I have related, suddenly
entangled among the thorns in such a way that the
more he struggled the more firmly he became ensared.
Being of an impatient disposition he did struggle
violently, and it was this probably that attracted the
attention of the bull and decided its future course
and its ultimate fate, for, after remaining one moment,
as I have stated, in an irresolute attitude it turned


PETERKIN IN DANGER. 59
suddenly to the left and rushed with its head down
and its tail up straight at Peterkin.
I cannot desoribe the sensations that overwhelmed
me on observing the imminent danger of my friend.
Horror almost overwhelmed me as I gazed with a
stare of fascination at the frightful brute, which with
flashing eyes and bloody foam dripping from its
mouth charged into the thicket, and crashed through
the tough boughs and bushes as if they were grass.
A film came over my eyes. I tried to reload my
rifle, but my trembling hand refused to act, and I
groaned with mingled shame and despair on finding
myself thus incapable of action in the hour of extreme
peril. At that moment I felt I would joyfully have
given my own life to have saved that of Peterkin.
It takes me long to describe it, but the whole scene
passed with the rapidity almost of a flash of light.
Jack did not even attempt to load, but uttering a
fearful cry, he sprang towards our friend with a bound
like that of an enraged tiger. A gleam of hope
flashed through my soul as I beheld his gigantic form
dash through the underwood. It seemed to me as
if no living creature could withstand such a furious
onset. Alas! for Peterkin, had his life depended on
Jack, strong and lion-like though he was. His aid
could not have been in time. A higher Power nerved
his arm and steeled his heart at that terrible moment.


60 OUR FIRST BUFFALO.
As I gazed helpessly at Peterkin, I observed that he
suddenly ceased his struggles to get free, and, throw-
ing forward the muzzle of his piece, stood boldly up
and awaited the onset with calm self-possession.
The bull was on him almost in an instant, One
stride more and he would have been lost, but that
stride was never taken. His rifle poured its deadly
charge into the skull of the wild bull, which fell, a.
mass of dead flesh, literally at his feet.
It were vain to attempt to describe the state of
our feelings on this memorable occasion,——the fervour
with which we thanked our heavenly Father for our
friend’s deliverance,—the delight with which we shook
his hands, again and again, and embraced him. It
was with considerable difficulty that we extricated
Peterkin from his entanglement. When this was
accomplished we proceeded to examine our prize.
We were not a little puzzled on discovering that
only three bullets had struck the bull. For my part
I fired straight at its forehead, and had felt certain at
the time that my shots had taken efl'ect; yet there
was but one ball in the animal’s head, and that was
undoubtedly Peterkin’s, for the hair all round the
hole was singed off—so near had it been to him when
he fired. The other two shots were rather wide
apart—~one in the shoulder, the other in the neck.
Both would have proved mortal in the long run, but


OUR FIRST BUFFALO. 61
neither were sufficiently near to a vital spot to kill
speedily.
“ Now Ralph, my boy,” said Jack, after our
excitement was in some degree abated, “you and I
must divide the honour of these two shots, for I fear
we can’t tell which of us fired them. Peterkin only
fired once, and that was pretty effectual.”
“ Yes,” I replied, “it is rather perplexing, for
although I have no objection whatever to your having
all the honour of those two shots, still one likes to
know with certainty who actually made them.”
“ You’d better toss for them,” suggested Peterkin,
who was seated ' on the trunk of a fallen tree,
examining, with a. somewhat rueful countenance, the
tattered condition of his garments.
“ There would not be much satisfaction in that,”
replied Jack, laughing.
“It is probable,” said I, “that each of us hit with
one barrel, and missed with the other.”
“ And it is possible,’_’ added Jack, “ that one of us
hit with both, and the other missed with both. All
that I can positively afiirm is that I fired both barrels
at his shoulder—one after the other.”
“And all that I am certain of,” said I, “is, that
I fired both barrels at his forehead, and that I dis-
charged them both at once.” _
“Did you?” said Peterkin lookingr up quickly, ~


62 A SURPRISIN G DISCOVERY.
“ then,- Ralph, I’m afraid that you must give all the
honour to Jack, for you have missed altogether.”
“ How do you know that?” I asked in a. somewhat
piqued tone.
“ Simply enough. If you fired both shots together
at so short a distance they would have been found
close together wherever they had struck, whereas the
two shots in the neck and shoulder are more than
two feet apart.”
I was compelled to admit that there was much
truth in the observation, but still felt unwilling to
give up all claim to having assisted in slaying our
first buffalo. I pondered the subject a good deal
during the remainder of the time we spent in cutting
up and packing part of the buffalo-meat, and in
preparing to continue our journey, but could come
at no satisfactory conclusion in my own mind, and
to say truth I felt not a little crestfallen at my con-
duct in the whole affair
While wandering in this mood near the spot where
the buffalo had been first wounded I received a sudden
and severe start on observing the leopard crouching
within a couple of yards of me.
the bushes quite distinctly, but could not make quite
I saw it through
sure of its attitude. With a mingled cry of alarm
and astonishment I sprang back to the place where
I had left my rifle.


A LUCKY SHOT. 63
Jack and Peterkin instantly ran up with their
pieces cocked.
“ Where is it?” they cried in a. breath.
“ There, crouching just behind that bush.”
Jack darted forward.
“ Crouching!” he cried with a loud laugh seizing
the animal by the tail and dragging it forth, “why
it’s dead—stone dead.”
“ Dead as mutton,” said Peterkin, “ Hallo! what’s
this?” he added in surprise. “Two holes close
together in its forehead. I do declare! Hooray!
Ralph, my boy, give us your paw! You’ve missed
the bull and hit the leopard! If you haven’t been
and put two bullets right between its two eyes I’m'
a, Dutchman!”
And so, in truth, it turned out. I had aimed at
the bull and hit the leopard. So I left that spot not
a, little pleased with my bad aim and my good fortune.


0i PHILOSOPHICAL narracrroxs.
CHAPTER IV.
wnunnnw WILL BE room) noon THAT IS PHILOSOPHICAL
HAVING skinned the leopard and cut off as much of
the buffalo meat as we could carry, we started for
the Negro village at a round pace, for we had already
lost much time in our last adventure. As we walked
along I could not help meditating on the uncertainty
of this life, and the terrible suddenness with which
we might at any unexpected moment he cut off.
These thoughts led me naturally to reflect how
important a matter it is that every one, no matter
how young, should be in a state of preparedness to
quit this world.
I also reflected, and not without a feeling of
shame, on my want of nerve, and was deeply im-
pressed with the importance of boys being inured
from childhood to trifling risks and slight dangers
of every possible description, such as tumbling into
ponds and. off trees, &c., in order to strengthen their
nervous system, I do not, of course, mean to say that
boys ought deliberately to tumble into ponds or climb
trees until they fall off; but they ought not to
avoid the risk of such mishaps; they ought to
encounter such risks, and many others, perpetually.


ADVICE TO BOYS. 65
They ought to practise leaping off heights into deep
water. They ought never to hesitate to cross a
stream on a narrow unsafe plank for fear of a duck-
ing. They ought never to decline to climb up a
tree to pull fruit, merely because there is a possibility
of their falling 011' and breaking their necks. I
firmly believe that boys were intended to encounter
all kinds of risks in order to prepare them to meet
and grapple with the risks and dangers incident to
man’s career with cool cautious self-possession, a self-
possession founded on experimental knowledge of the
character and powers of their own spirits and muscles.
I also concluded that this reasoning applies to some
extent to girls as well as boys, for they too are
liable through life to occasional encounters with
danger—such as meeting with mad bulls; being run
away with on horseback; being upset in boats; being
set on fire by means of crinoline—in all of which
cases those who have been trained to risk slight mis-
haps during early life will find their nerves equal to
the shock and their minds cool and collected enough
to look around and take hasty advantage of any
opportunity of escape that may exist; while those
who have been unhappin nurtured in excessive
delicacy, and advised from the earliest childhood to
“take care of themselves and carefully avoid all
risks,” will probably fall victims to their nervous
5


66 mvrcx T0 BOYS.
alarms, and the kind but injudicious training of
parents or guardians.
The more I pondered this subject the more deeply
impressed did I become with its great importance to
the well-being of mankind, and I was so profoundly
engrossed with it that my companions utterly failed
to engage me in general conversation as we walked
briskly along through the forest. Jack again and
again attempted to draw my attention to the splendour
of the curious specimens of tropical foliage and
vegetation through which we passed; but I could not
rouse myself to take interest therein. In vain did
Peterkinjest and rally me, and point out the monkeys
that grinned at us ever and anon as we passed
beneath them, or the serpents that glided more than
once from our path. I was fascinated with my
train of meditation, and as I could not then give it
up until I had thought it out, so now I cannot pass
from the subject until I have at least endeavoured to
guard myself from misconception.
I beg, then, that it will be understood that I do
not by any means inculcate hair-brained recklessness,
or a course of training that will foster that state of
mind. On the contrary, the course of training which
I should like to see universally practised would.
naturally tend to counteract recklessness, for it would
enable a boy to judge correctly as to what he could,


ILLUSTRATION. 67
and could not do. Take an illustration. A naturally
bold boy has been unwiser trained to be exceedingly
careful of himself. He does not know the extent of
his own courage or the power and agility of his own
muscles—he knows these things to some extent
indeed, but, owing to restraint, he does not know
them fully. Hence he is liable both to over and
under-estimate them.
This bold boy,--we shall call him Tom—takes a
walk into the country with a friend whom we shall
name Pat. Pat is a bad boy, but he has been per-
mitted to train his muscles as be pleased, and his
natural disposition has led him to do difficult and
sometimes slightly dangerous things.
“ You can’t jump over that river, Tom,” say’s Pat.
“ Perhaps not,” replies Tom, “I never tried such
a jump, because my mother tells me never to go
where I am likely to tumble into the water.”
“Oh, your mother’s a muff l” cries Pat.
“Pat,” says Tom, flushing with indignation and
confronting his friend, “Don’t you ever say that
again, else the friendship between you and me will
come to an end. I know you don’t really mean
what you say; but I won’t allow you to speak dis-
respectfully of my mother.”
“\Vell. I won’t,” says Pat, “but you’re a muff
anyhow.” '


68 ILLUSTRATION.
“Perhaps I am,” replies Tom.
“ Of course you are, because you're afraid to jump
over that river, and I’m not. So, here goes.”
Pat thereupon jumps the liver (he is a. splendid
leaper), and Tom hesitates.
“Come along, Tom. Don’t be a hen."
“Tom gives way, alas! to a. disobedient impulse
and dashing at the leap comes to the edge when he
finds, somehow, that he has not got the proper foot
first for the spring—almost every boy knows the
feeling I allude to—his heart fails and he baulks.”
_ “0 Tom, what a, mimiuipimini muff you are, to
be sure.”
Tom, as I have said, is a bold boy. His blood
boils at this; he rushes wildly at the bank, hurls
himself recklessly into the air; barely reaches the
opposite side with a scramble and falls sense into
the river, from which he issues, as Pat says, amid
peals of laughter, “like a half—drowned rat.”
Now, had Tom been permitted to follow the bent
of his own bold impulses, he would have found out,
years ago, how far and how high he could leap, and
how far exactly he could depend on his own courage
in certain circumstances, and he would either, on the
one hand, have measured the leap with an accustomed
eye, and declined to take it with a good-humoured
admission that it was beyond his powers, or, on the


ILLUSTRATION. 69
other hand, he would calmly have collected his well
and oft-tried energies for the spring. The proper
foot, from long experience, would have come to the
ground at the right time. His mind, freed from all
anxiety as to what he could accomplish, would have
received a beneficial impulse from his friends taunt.
No nervous dread of a ducking would have checked
the completeness of his bound, because he would have
often been ducked before, and would have discovered
that in most cases, if the clothes be changed at
once, a ducking is not worth mentioning—in a
hydropathic point of view is, in fact, beneficial,—and
he would have cleared the river with comfort to
himself and confusion to his friend, and without a
ducking, or the uneasiness of conscience caused by the
knowledge that he had disobeyed his mother. Had
Peterkin not been trained to encounter danger, his
natural boldness alone would never have enabled him
to stand the charge of that buffalo bull.
There are muffs in this world. I do not refer to
those hairy articles of female apparel in which
ladies are wont to place their hands, handkerchiefs,
and scent~bottles. Although not given to the use of
slang, I avail myself of it on this occasion, the
word “ mufi' ” being eminently expressive of a certain
class of boys, big as well as little, old as well as
young. There are three distinct classes of boys,


70 mum, ETC.
namely, muffs, sensible fellows, and boasters. I say
there are three distinct classes, but I do not say that
every boy belongs to one or other of those classes.
Those who have studied chemistry know that nature’s
elements are few. Nearly all kinds of matter, and
certainly all varieties of mind, are composite. There
are no pure. and simple mufl's. Most boasters have
a good deal of the muff in them, and many muffs
are boasters; while sensible fellows are occasionally
tinged with a dash of both the bad qualities—they
are, if I may be allowed to coin a word, sensible-
bowto-mufiers ! Still, for the sake of lucidity, I
will maintain that there are three distinct phases of
character in boys.
The muff is a boy who from natural disposi-
tion, or early training, or both, is mild, diflident,
and gentle. So far he is an estimable character.
Were this all, he were not a muff. In order to de-
serve that title he must be timid and unenthusiastic.
He must refuse to venture anything that will subject
him to danger, however slight. He must be afraid
of a shower of rain; afraid of dogs in general,
good and bad alike; disinclined to try bold things;
indifferent about learning to swim. He must object
to the game called “ dumps,” because the blows from
the ball are sometimes severe, and be a sworn enemy
to single-stick, because the whacks are uncommonly


MUFFS, ETC. ‘ 71
painful. So feeling and acting, he will, when he
becomes a man, find himself unable to act in the
common emergencies of life ; to protect a lady from
insolence ; to guard his house from robbery; or
to save his own child should it chance to fall into
the water. The mufl‘ is addicted to boasting sometimes,
especially when in the company of girls, but when
on the play-ground he hangs on the skirts of society,
and sings very small. There are many boys, alas!
who are made mufl's by injudicious training, who
would have grown up to be bold manly fellows, had
they been otherwise treated. There are also many
kinds of muffs. Some are good-hearted amiable
muffs, others are petty sneaking muffs.
With many of the varieties I have a strong sym-
pathy, and, for their comfort, I would say that must
may cure themselves if they choose to try energetic-
ally.
Courage and cowardice are not two distinct and
entirely antagonistic qualities. To a great extent
those qualities are the result of training. Every
courageous man has a slight amount of cowardice- in
his composition, and all cowards have a certain in-
fusion of courage. The Matador stands before the
infuriated bull and awaits its charge with unflinching
firmness, not because he has more courage than his
comrades in the ring who run away, but because long


72 murrs, are.
training has enabled him to make almost certain of
killing the bull. He knows what he has done before,
he feels that he can do it again, therefore he stands.
like a hero. Were a doubt of his capacity to cross
his mind for an instant, his cheek would blanch, his
hand would tremble, and, ten to one, he would turn
and flee like the rest
Let muffs, therefore, learn to swim, to leap,
and to run. Let them wrestle with boys bigger
than themselves, regardless of being thrown. Let
them practise “ jinking ” with their companions,
so that if even they be chased by a mad bull, they
will, if unable to get out of his way by running,
escape perhaps by jinking. Let them learn to leap
off considerable heights into deep water, so that, if
ever called on to leap off the end of a pier or the
side of a ship to save a fellow creature, they may do
so with confidence and promptitude. Let them even
put on “the gloves,” and become regardless of a
swelled nose, in order that they may be able to
defend themselves or others from sudden assault. S0
doing they will become sensible fellows, whose char-
acter I have thus, to some extent, described. Of
course I speak of sensible fellows only with reference
to this one subject of training the nerves and muscles.
Let it never be forgotten that there are men who,
although sensible in this respect, are uncommonly


BOASTERS. 7 3
senseless in regard to other things of far higher
moment. \
As to boasters, I will dismiss them with a few
words. They are too easily known to merit par-
ticular description. They are usually loud and bold
in the drawing~room, but rather mild in the field.
They are desperately egotistical, fond of exaggeration,
and prone to depreciate the deeds of their comrades.
They make bad soldiers and sailors, and are usually
held in contempt by others, whatever they may
think of themselves. 1 may wind up this digression—
into which I have been tempted by an earnest desire
to warn my fellow-men against the errors of nervous
and muscular education, which, in my case, led to
the weak conduct of which I had been guilty that
day—J may wind up this digression, I say, by re-
marking that the boys who are most loved in this
world are those who are lambs, almost mufl's, in the
drawing-room, but lions in the field.
How long I should have gone on pondering this
subject I know not, but Peterkin somewhat rudely
interrupted me by uttering a wild scream, and be—
ginning to caper as if he were a madman. I was
much alarmed as well as surprised at this course of
conduct, for although my friend was an inveterate
joker, he was the very reverse of what is termed a
buffoon, and never indulged in personally grotesque


74 A TERRIBLE ASSAULT.
actions with a view to make people laugh; such as
making faces, a practice which, in ninety-nine cases
out of a hundred, causes the face-makers to look
idiotical rather than funny, and induces beholders to
pity them, and to feel very uncomfortable sensations.
Peterkin’s yells, instead of ceasing, continued and
increased.
“ W'hy, what’s wrong?" I cried in much alarm.
Instead of answering, Peterkin darted away
through the wood like a maniac tearing off his
clothes as he went. At the same moment Jack
began to roar like a bull, and became similarly dis-
tracted. It now flashed across me that they must
have been attacked by an army of the Bashikouay
ant, a species of ant which is so ferocious as to prove
a perfect scourge to the parts of the country over
which it travels. The thought had scarcely occurred
to me when I was painfully convinced of its accur-
acy. The ants suddenly came to me, and in an
instant I was covered from head to foot by the pas-
sionate creatures which hit me so severely that I also
began to scream and to tear off my garments, for I
had been told by the trader who accompanied us to
this part of the country, that this was the quickest
method of getting rid of them.
We all three fled and soon left the army of Bashi-
kouay ants behind us, undressing, as we ran, in the


ARMY or ANTS. 75
best way we could, and when we at length came to
a halt, we found ourselves almost in a state of
nudity. Hastily divesting ourselves of the remainder
of our apparel, we assisted each other to clear away
the ants, though we could not rid ourselves of the pain-
ful effects of the bites with which we were covered.
“What dreadful villains!" gasped Peterkin, as he
busied himself in hastily picking off the furious
creatures from his person.
“ It would be curious to observe the effect of an
army of soldiers stepping into an army of Bashi-
kouays,” said Jack. “They would be routed in-
stantly. No discipline or courage could hold them
together for two minutes after they were attacked.”
I was about to make some reply, when our atten-
tion was attracted by a shout at no great distance,
and in a few seconds we observed, to our confusion,
the trader and a band of negroes approaching us. We
hurried on our clothes as rapidly as possible, and
were a little more presentible when they arrived.
They had a good laugh at us, of course, and the
naked blacks seemed to be much tickled with the
idea that we had been compelled to divest ourselves,
even for a short time, of what they considered our
unnecessary covering.
“We thought you were lost,” said the trader,
“ and I began to blame myself for letting you away


76 MY LUCK.
into the woods, where so many dangers may be
encountered, without a guide. But what have you
got there? meat of some kind Q Your guns seem to
have done service on this your first expedition.”
“ Ay, that they have,” answered Jack, “ we’ve
killed a buffalo bull, and if you send your black
fellows back on our track for some hours they’ll come
to the carcase, of which we could not, of course, bring
very much away on our shoulders which are not
accustomed yet to heavy loads."
“ Besides,” added Peterkin, “ we were anxious to
get back in time for your elephant hunt, else we
should have brought more meat with us. But Jack
has not mentioned what I consider our chief prize,
the honour of shooting which belongs to my friend
Ralph Rover. Come, Ralph, unfasten your pack and
let them see it.”
Although unwilling to put off more time, I threw
down my pack, and, untying it, displayed my leopard _
skin. The shout of delight and surprise which the
sight of it drew from the negroes was so enthusiastic
that I at once perceived I was considered to have
secured a great prize.
“Why, Mr. Rover, you’re in luck,” said the trader,
examining the skin, “it’s not every day that one falls
in with such a fine leopard as that. And you have
already made a reputation as a daring hunter, for the


I BECOME A HERO. 77
niggers consider it a bold and dangerous thing to
attack these critters. ‘ They’re so uncommon fierce.”
“Indeed, I do not by any means deserve such a
reputation,” said I, refastening my pack, “ for the
shot was entirely accidental, so I pray you, good sir,
to let the negroes know that as I have no desire to
go under a false flag, as my friend Peterkin would
say—"
“ Go under a false flag!” exclaimed Peterkin in
contempt. “Sail under false colours, man! That’s
what you should have said. Whatever you do,
Ralph, never misquote a man. Go under a false
flag! ha! ha! why you might just as well have said,
‘ progress beneath assumed bunting 1’”
“Well, accidental or otherwise,” said the trader,
“ you’ve got credit for the deed, and your fame will
be spread among the tribe whether you will or not,
for these fellows are such incorrigible liars themselves
that they will never believe you if you tell them the
shot was accidental. They will only give you credit
for some strange though unknown motive in telling
such a falsehood.”
While the trader was speaking I observed that the
negroes were talking with the eager looks and gesti-
culations that are peculiar to the Africans when ex-
cited, and presently two or three of them came for-
ward and asked several questions, while their eyes


78 VALUE or BRAINS.
sparkled eagerly and their black faces shone with
animation as they pointed into the woods in the direc-
tion whence we had come.
“ They want to know where you have left the car-
case of the leopard, and if you have taken away the
brains,” said the trader turning to me. “I dare say
you know—if not you’ll soon come to find out——that
all the nigger tribes in Africa are sunk in gross and
cruel superstitions. They have more fetishes, and
greegrees, and amulets, and wooden gods, and charms,
than they know what to do with, and have surrounded
themselves with spiritual mysteries that neither them—
selves nor anybody else can understand. Among
other things they attach a very high value to the
' brains of the leopard, because they imagine that he
who possesses them will be rendered extraordinarily
bold and successful in hunting. These fellows are in
hopes that, being ignorant of the value of leopard
brains, you have left them in the carcase, and are burn-
ing with anxiety to be off after them.”
“Poor creatures,” said I, “ they are heartily wel~
come to the brains, and the carcass lies not more than
four hours march from this spot, I should think. Is
it not so, Jack ? ”
My friend nodded assent, and the trader, turning to
the expectant crowd of natives gave them the infor-
mation they desired. No sooner had he finished,


REMARKS 0N MISSIONARIES. 79
than, with loud cries, they turned and darted away,
tossing their arms wildly in the air and looking more
like to a. band of scared monkeys than to human beings.
“ They’re queer fellows,” remarked Peterkin.
“ So they are,” replied the trader, “ and they’re
kindly fellows, too,—jovial and good~humoured, ex-
cept when under the influence of their abominable
superstitions. Then they become incarnate fiends
and commit deeds of cruelty that make one’s blood
run cold to think of.”
I felt much saddened by these remarks, and asked
the trader if the missionaries accomplished any good
among them.
“ Oh yes,” he replied, “ they do much good, such
of them at least as really are missionaries, for it does
not follow that every one who wears a black coat
and white neck-cloth, and goes abroad, is a. missionary.
But what can a few men scattered along the coast
here and there, however earnest they be, do among
the thousands upon thousands of savages that wander
about in the interior of Africa? N 0 good will ever
be done in this land to any great extent, until traders
and missionaries go hand in hand into the interior,
and the system of trade is entirely remodelled.”
“ From what you remark,” said I, feeling much
interested, “I should suppose that you have given
this subject a good deal of attention.”


80 mnumcs on MISSIONS.
“I have. But there are people in this world,
who, supposing that because I am a. trader, I am
therefore prone to exalt trade to an equality with re-
ligion, do not give me credit for disinterestedness when
I speak. Perhaps you are one of these."
“Not I, in truth,” said I, earnestly. “ My chief
desire in conversing with mankind is to acquire know-
ledge, I therefore listen with attention and respect to
the opinions of others instead of endeavouring to as—
sert my own. In the present instance, being igno-
rant, I have no opinions to assert.”
“I wish there were more people in your country,”
replied the trader, “who felt as you do. I would
tell them that, although a trader, I regard the sal-
vation of men’s souls as the most important work in
this world. I would argue that until you get men
to listen, you cannot preach the gospel to them ; that
the present system of trade in Africa is 'in itself an-
tagonistic to religion, being based upon dishonesty,
and that, therefore, the natives will not listen to mis-
sionaries—of course, in some cases they will, for I
believe that the gospel, when truly preached, is never
preached in vain—but they will throw every possible
impediment in their way. I would tell them that
in order to make the path of the missionary practic-
able, the system of trade must be inverted, the trader
and the missionary must go hand in hand, and com-


COMMERCE AND RELIGION. 81
merce and religion—although incomparany different
in their nature and ends—must act the part of brother
and sister if anything great is to be done for the poor
natives of Africa.”
Conversing thus we beguiled the time pleasantly,
while we proceeded rapidly on our way, for the day
was drawing to a close, and we were still at a con-
siderable distance from the native village.


82 PREPARATIONS.
CHAPTER V.
PREPARATIONS FOR A GRAND HUNT.
ALL was bustle, noise, and activity in the village, or,
more correctly speaking, in the native town of His
Majesty King Jambai, early in the morning after our
arrival. A great elephant hunt had been resolved on.
The hunters were brushing up their spears and 01d
guns—all of which latter were flint locks that had
been procured from traders, and were not worth more
than a few shillings. The women were busy prepar-
ing breakfast, and the children were playing around
their huts. '
These huts were of the simplest construction—
made of bamboo, ‘roofed with large palm—leaves, and
open in front. The wants of savages are generallyfew;
their household furniture is very plain, and there is little
of it. A large but near to that of his sable majesty
had been set apart for the trader and his party dur-
ing our residence at the town. In this we had spent
the night as pleasantly as we could, but the mosqui-
toes kept up an unceasing warfare upon us, so that
daylight was welcomed gladly when it came.
On going to the but of King J ambai, who had in-
vited us to breakfast with him, we found the Prin-


NATIVE PRINCESS. 83
cess Oninga alone seated in the king’s arm chair and
smoking her pipe with uncommon gusto. She had
spent the early part of the morning in preparing
breakfast for her father and ourselves, and was now
resting from her labours.
“ You are early astir, Princess Oninga,” said the
trader as we entered and took our seats round the fire,
for at that hour the air felt chilly.
The princess took her pipe from her lips and ad-
mitted that she was, blowing a long thin cloud of
smoke into the air with a sigh of satisfaction.
“ We are ready for breakfast,” added the trader.
“ Is the king at home 1 ”
“ He is in the woods, but will be back quickly.”
With this remark the princess rose, and knocking the
ashes out of her pipe, left the tent.
“ Upon my word, she’s a cool beauty,” said Peter-
kin.
“' I should rather say a black one,” remarked Jack.
“Perhaps an odd one would be the most appr0~
priate term,” said I. “Did you ever see such a. head-
dress ? ”
The manner in which the Princess Oninga had seen
fit to dress her head was indeed peculiar, I may say
ludicrous. Her woolly hair had been arranged in the
form of a cocked hat, with a horn projecting in front,
and at a short distance off it might easily have been


84 imnrnmn WANTED.
mistaken for the head piece of a general oflicer minus
the feathers. There was little in the way of artificial
ornament about it, but the princess wore a number
of heavy brass rings on her arms and ankles. Those on
the latter reached half way up toher knees, and they
were so heavy that her walk was little better than
a clumsy waddle. Before we could pass further com-
ment on her appearance, King Jambai entered and
saluted us by taking us each separately and rubbing
noses with us. This done he ordered in breakfast,
which consisted of roast and boiled plantains, ground
nuts, roast fowl, and roast pig, so we fell to at once,
and, being exceedingly hungry after our long walk
of the day before, made a hearty meal.
“Now, sir,” said Jack, when our repast was about
concluded, “as you are going to leave us soon, you
had better arrange with the king about getting us
an interpreter and supplying us with a few men to
carry our goods. I think you said there was once a
man in the tribe who spoke a little English. Have
you found out whether he is alive ?”
“ Yes, I have heard that he is alive and well, and
is expected in every day from a hunting expedition.
He is a splendid hunter and a capital fellow. His
name is Makarooroo, and if you get him you will be
fortunate.”
g“ Then ask his black majesty,” said Peterkin, “ as


KING JAMBAI. 35
quick as you please, for, to say truth, I’m rather
anxious on this point. I feel that we should never
get on without a good interpreter.”
To our satisfaction we found that the king was
quite willing to do all that we wished and a great
deal more. In fact we soon perceived that he felt
highly honoured by our visit, and had boasted not a
little of “ his white men,” to the chiefs of neighbour-
ing tribes, some of whom had come a considerable
distance to see us.
“ You have made quite a conquest, gentlemen, of
worthy Jambai,” said the trader, after translating the
king’s favourable reply. “ The fact is he is pleased
with the liberality you have shown towards him in
the way of gifts, and is proud of the confidence you
have placed in him. Had you been bent on a trading
expedition he would have opposed your further pro-
gress, but knowing that you are simply hunters he
is anxious to assist you by all the means at his com-
mand. He is surprised, indeed, at your taking so
much trouble and coming so far merely to kill wild
animals, for he cannot understand the idea of sport-
ing. He himself hunts for the sake of procuring
meat.”
“ Can he not understand,” said Peterkin, that we
hunt for fun 2 ”
“ No, he don’t quite see through that. He said to


86 START son A sum".
me a few minutes ago, ‘ Have these men no meat at
home that they come all this long way to get it?’
I told him that you had plenty, and then endeavoured
to explain your idea of hunting ‘ for fun.’ But he
shook his head, and I think he does not believe you.”
At this point in our convelsation the king rose and
gave the signal to set out on the hunting expedition.
Instantly the whole population of the town turned
out and rushed to the banks of the river, near which
it stood, where canoes were prepared for us. Sud-
denly there arose a great shout, and the name, “Maka-
rooroo, Makarooroo,” passed from mouth to mouth.
Presently a fine tall deep-ch ested and broad—shouldered
negro stepped up to the king and laid aleopard skin
at his feet, while the people shouted and danced with
delight at the success of their companion; for, as I
have already stated, it is deemed abold feat to attack
and slay a leopard single-handed.
While the commotion caused by this event was
going on, I said to the trader,—
“ How comes it that Makarooroo can speak Eng-
lish?”
“ He spent a couple of years on the coast, in
the service of a missionary, and during that time
attended the missionary school, where he picked up
a smattering of English and a trifle of geography
and arithmetic; but although a stout, sturdy hunter,


01m INTERPRETEB. 87
and an intelligent man, he was a lazy student, and
gave the good missionary much trouble to hammer
the little he knows into his thick skull. At last
he grew tired of it, and returned to his tribe ; but he
brought his Bible with him, and I am told is very
diligent in the study of it. His education has
gained for him a great reputation as a fetish—man,
or doctor of mysteries, among his people. I used
often to see him at school hammering away at m-a,
ma—b-a, ha, and so on, amid a group of children.
He used to sit beside the king—”
“The king!” said I, in surprise.
“ Ay ; the king of that district became a Christian,
and he and the queen, with one or two others of
the royal household, used to attend school with the
children every day, and their diligence in studying
the A B G was beyond all praise, but they were
terribly stupid. The children beat them easily,
showing how true is the saying that ‘youth is the
time to learn.’ The king was always booby, and
Makarooroo was always beside him.”
As the trader spoke, Makarooroo came forward and
shook hands with him in the English fashion. He
was then introduced to us, and expressed his Willing_
ness to become our interpreter in somewhat curious
but quite comprehensible English. As I looked at
his intelligent, good~natured countenance, I could not


88 OUR INTERPRETER.
help thinking that the trader had under‘rated his
intellectual powers.
“ He’s a funny dog that Makarooroo,”said Peterkin,
as our interpreter hastened away to fetch his rusty
old gun and spears, for he meant to join our hunting
expedition, although he had only that moment arrived
from a long and fatiguing chase.
“ Do you think so ?" said Jack.
“ I don’t agree with you,” said I ; “ to me he
seems rather of a grave and quiet disposition.”
“ 0 Ralph I what a bat you are. He was grave
enough just now, truly ; but did you not observe
the twinkle in his eye when he spoke to us in
English? Depend on it he’s a funny dog.”
“ There must be free-masonry, then, among funny
dogs,” I retorted, “ for J ask and I don’t perceive it.”
“ Is this our canoe?” inquired Jack of the trader.
“ It is.”
“ Then let’s jump in."
In a few seconds the river was crowded with a
fleet of small canoes, and we all paddled quickly up
the stream, which was sluggish at that part. We
did not intend to proceed more than a few miles by
water, as the place where game was expected was at
some distance from the river. I felt some regret at
this, for the trip up the river was to me most en-
chanting.


THE RIVER. 89
Every yard we advanced, new beauties of scenery
Were revealed to view. The richness of the tropical
vegetation seemed in this place to culminate, it was
so rank and gorgeous. The day was fine, too, and
all the strange-looking creatures—ugly and beautiful,
large and small—peculiar to those regions, seemed
to have resolved on a general peace in order to bask
in the sunshine, and enjoy the glorious weather.
Man alone was bent on war, and our track, alas!
was marked with blood wherever we passed along.
I pondered much on this subject, and wondered
at the blood-thirsty spirit which seems to be natural
to man in all conditions and climes. Then I thought
of the difficulty these poor Africans have at times in
procuring food, the frequency with which they are
reduced almost to a state of starvation, and I ceased
to wonder that they shot and speared everything that
came in their way.
We proceeded up the left bank of the river, keeping
close in to the shore in order to obtain the protection
of the overhanging boughs and .foliage, for the sun
soon began to grow hot, and in the middle of the
day became so intense that I sometimes feared that
I or my companions would receive a sun-stroke. I
confess that the subject of health often caused me
much anxiety, for although I knew that we were all
old experienced travellers—though young in years


90 HEALTH.
—and had become in a great degree inured to
hardships, I feared that the deadly climate of Central
Africa might prove too much for our European
constitutions. By the free use of quinine, however,
and careful attention to the rules of health as far as
circumstances would permit, we were fortunate enough
to keep in excellent health and spirits during the
whole course of our sojourn there; for which—when
I thought of the hundreds of Europeans who had
perished on that deadly coast without even venturing
into the interior—I felt very thankful. One of our '
chief delights, to which I in a great degree attribute
our uninterrupted health, was bathing daily in the
streams and ponds with which we fell in, or on
which we paddled during our travels. On these
occasions we were fain, however, to be exceeding
careful in the selection of our bathing pool, as
crocodiles and alligators, and I know not what other
hideous animals were constantly on the look out
for prey, and, I make no doubt, would have
been very ready to try the flavour of a morsel of
English food had we given them the chance;
On these occasions, when we had made sure of
our pool, we were wont to paddle about in the cool
refreshing stream, and recall to mind the splendid
dips we had had together six years before in the
clear waters of the coral island. Since that time


REMARKS 0N swrmnno. 91
Peterkin had learned to swim well, which was not
only a source of much satisfaction and gratification
to himself now, but, he told me, had been the
means of preserving not only his own life on more
than one occasion, but the life of a little child
which he had the good fortune to rescue from
drowning when cruising ofi' the Island of Mada-
gascar.
Peterkin used to speak very strongly when
talking on this subject, and I observed from the
unusual seriousness of his manner that he felt deeply
too.
“Ralph,” he said to me one day, “half the world
is mad—I am not sure that I might not say three
quarters of the world is mad—~and I’m quite certain
that all the ladies in the world are mad, with the
exception of the brown ladies of the South Seas, and
a few rare specimens elsewhere—they’re all mad
together in reference to the matter of swimming.
Now that I have learned it nothing is so easy, and
any one who is not as blind as a rheumatic owl
must see that nothing is more important, for every
one almost is subject to being pitched now and
then into deep water, and if he can’t swim it’s all up
with him. Why, every time an angler goes out to
fish he runs the chance of slipping and being swept
into a deep hole, where, if he cannot swim, he is


92 mums 0N swnmmo.
certain to be drowned. And yet five strokes would
save his life. Good swimming is by no means what
is wanted; swimming of any kind, however poor,
is all that is desiderated. Every time a lady goes
to have a row on a lake she is liable to be upset by
the clumsiness of those who accompany her, and
although it may be close to shore, if she cannot
swim down she goes to the bottom. And floating
won’t do. Some ladies delude themselves with the
idea that floating is of great value. In nine cases
out of ten it is of no value at all, for unless water
be perfectly smooth and still, a person cannot float
so as to keep the waves from washing over the
face, in which case choking is the certain result.
There is no excuse for not learning to swim. In
most large cities there are swimming baths; if the
sea is not available a river is, everywhere. I tell
you what it is, Ralph, people who don’t learn to
sWim are—are—I was going to say asses, but that
would be an insult to the much maligned long-cared
animal—and parents who don’t teach their offspring
to swim, deserve to be drowned in butter-milk, and
I wish I saw—no, I don't quite wish I saw them all
drowned in that way, butI do wish that I could im-
press upon mankind over the length and breadth of
this rotund world the great, the immense, the intense
importance of boys and girls being taught to swim."


PETERKIN ON “ THE TIMES.” 93
“ You make use of strong language,” said I.
“ Quite a powerful orator,” added Jack, laugh-
ing.
“ Bah!” exclaimed Peterkin, “your reception of
this grand truth is but a type of the manner in
which it will be received by the pig-headed world.
What’s the use of preaching common sense? I’m a
perfect donkey ! ”
“Nay, Peterkin,” said Jack, “ I appreciate what
you say, and have no doubt whatever that your
remarks, if made public, would create quite a revolu-
tion in the juvenile world, and convert them speedily
into aquatic animals. Did you ever think of sending
your views on that subject to the Times ?”
“The Times !” cried Peterkin.
“ Yes, the Times,- why not 2 ”
“ Because,” said Peterkin slowly, “ I once sent a
letter to that great, but insolent periodical, and what
do you think it did i”
“ Can’t tell, I’m sure.”
“ Took 'no notice of 'it whatever! ” said Peterkin,
with a look of inefi'able disgust.
But to return from this digression. I was much
struck with the splendid contrast of colours that
met my eye everywhere here. The rich variety of
greens in the different trees harmonized with the
bright pink plums and scarlet berries, and these


94 BIRD snoo'rnm.
latter were almost dimmed in their lustre by the
bright plumage of the birds which I felt intense
longing to procure, many of them being quite new
to me, and, I am certain, totally unknown to
naturalists, while others I recognised with delight as
belonging to several of the species of which I had
read in ornithological works. I tried hard to shoot
several of these lovely creatures, intending to stuff
them, but, to my regret, was utterly unable to hit
them. Seeing this, Peterkin took pity on me, and
sitting down in the bow of our canoe, picked off all
the birds I pointed out to him as we passed, with
unerring precision. Most of them fell into the
water and were easily secured, while one or two
toppled off the branches into the canoe. Several
of them he shot on the wing, a feat which even
filled Jack with surprise, and so astounded the
natives that they surrounded our canoe at last, and
gazed open-mouthed at my friend, whom they evi-
dently regarded as the greatest fetish-man that had
ever come amongst them. '
He was obliged to stop at last and lay down his
gun in order to make the natives cease from crowding
round us and delaying our voyage. A number of
iguanos were observed on the branches of the trees
that overhung the stream. They dropped into the
Water as we approached, but the natives succeeded


PELICANS. 95
in spearing a good many, and I afterwards found
that they considered them excellent food.
If I was charmed with the birds, Peterkin was no
less delighted with the monkeys that chattered at us
as we passed along. I never sawa man laugh as he
did that day. He almost became hysterical, so much
was he tickled with their antics, and the natives, who
have a keen sense of the ludicrous, seemed quite to
sympathize with his spirit, although, of course, what
amused him, could not have similarly afl'ected them,
seeing that they were used to monkeys from infancy.
“ There’s something new 1” exclaimed Jack as we
rounded a bend in the river and came in view of an
open flat where it assumed somewhat the aspect of a,
pond or small lake. He pointed to a flock of birds
standing on a low rock, which I instantly recognised
to be pelicans.
“ Surely,” said I, “ pelicans are not new to you 1”
“ Certainly not ; but if you look a little more
attentively I think you will find material for your
note-book.”
Jack was right. I observed a very fine fish-
hawk circling over the head of one of the pelicans.
Its head and neck were white, and its body was of a
reddish chocolate colour. Just as we came in sight,
the pelican caught a fine fish which it stowed away
safe in the pouch under its chin. The sly hawk


96 A VILE THIEF.
which had been watching for this, immediately made
a descent towards its victim, making a considerable
noise with its wings as it came down. Hearing this,
the pelican looked hastily up, and, supposing that a
terrible and deadly assault was about to be made,
opened its mouth and screamed in terror. This was
just what the hawk wanted. The open bill revealed
the fish in the pouch. Down he swooped, snatched
it out, and then soared away with his ill-gotten gains
in his talons !
“ Oh, what a thief !” exclaimed Peterkin.
“And the pelican seems to take his loss in a re-
markably philosophical manner,” observed Jack.
To my surprise the great stupid bird, instead of
flying away, as I had expected, quietly resumed his
fishing as if nothing had happened. No doubt he
was well pleased to find himself still alive, and it is
not improbable that the hawk made several more
meals at the expense of his long-beaked friend after
we had passed by.
We soon put him to flight, however, by landing
near the spot where he stood, this being the place
where we were to quit our canoes and pass through
the jungle on foot. The hunters now prepared them-
selves for action, for the recent tracks of elephants
were seen on the bank of the stream, and the natives
said they could not be far off. Jack and Peterkin


PREPARATIONS For. THE HUNT. 97
Were armed with immensely heavy rifles, which
carried ballslof the weight of six ounces. I carried
my trusty double-barrelled fowling piece, which is of
the largest size, and which I preferred to a rifle,
because, not being a good shot, I resolved, on all
occasions, to reserve my fire until we should come to
close quarters with game, leaving my more expert
comrades to take the longer shots. We had also two
natives,-—one being our guide, Makarooroo, who
carried Jack and Peterkin’s double-barrelled guns as a
reserve. These were loaded, of course, with ball.
“This looks something like business,” said Jack,
as he leaned on his heavy rifle and looked at the
natives who were selecting their spears, and other-
wise making preparations.
“ It does,” replied Peterkin, “are you loaded i”
“Ay, and I have just examined the caps to see
that they are dry, for it’s not like grouse shooting on
the Scottish hills this African hunting, depend upon
it. A snapping cap might cost us our lives. Ralph,
my boy, you must keep well in rear. I don’t want
to hurt your feelings, but it won't do to go in front
when you cannot depend on your nerves.”
I experienced a feeling of sadness not unmingled
with shame as my friend said this, but I could not
question the justness of his remark, and I knew well
that he would not have made it at all, but for his
7


98 THE ELEPHANT nun'r.
anxiety lest I should run recklessly into danger,
which I might find myself, when too late, unable to
cope with. I was careful, however, to conceal my
feelings, as I replied with a smile,-—~
“ You are right, Jack, I shall act the part of a
support, while you and Peterkin skirmish in
advance.”
“And be careful,” said Peterkin, solemnly, “that
you don’t fire into us by mistake.”
Somewhat of Peterkin’s own spirit came over me“
as I replied, “Indeed, I have been thinking of that,
and I’m not sure that I can restrain myself when I
see a chimpanzee monkey and a gorilla walking
through the woods before me.”
“I think we’d better take his gun from him,”
suggested Jack. ‘
At this moment the king gave the signal to
advance, so we shouldered our weapons and joined
him. As we walked rapidly along, Jack suggested
that we should allow the natives to kill any elephants
we might fall in with in their own way, so as to ob-
serve how they managed it, rather than try to push
ourselves forward on this our first expedition. We
all agreed to this, and, shortly after, we came to the
place which elephants were known to frequent.
Here great preparations had evidently been made
for them. A space of more than a mile was Par.“-


THE ELEPHANT HUNT. 99
tially enclosed by what might be termed a vine wall.
The huge, thorny, creeping vines had been torn down
from the trees and woven into a rude sort of net
work, through which it was almost impossible for
any animal except an elephant to break. This was
intended; not to stop the elephant altogether, but, to
entangle and retard him in his flight, until the
hunters could kill him with their spears. The work,
we were given to understand, was attended with
considerable danger, for some of the natives were
occasionally caught by the thorny vines when flying
from the charge of the infuriated animal, and were
instantly stamped to death by his ponderous feet.
I felt a new and powerful excitement creep over
me as I saw the natives extend themselves in a wide
semicircle of nearly two miles in extent, and begin to
advance with loud shouts and cries in order to drive
the game towards the vines, and the flashing eyes
and compressed lips of my two companions showed
that they were similarly affected. We determined to
keep together and follow close on that part of the
line where the king was.
“You no he ’fraid,” said Makarooroo looking down
at Peterkin, who, he evidently supposed, was neither
mentally nor physically adapted for an African hunter.
Peterkin was so tickled with the question that
he suddenly began to tremble like an aspen leaf, and


100 THE ELEPHANT HUNT.
to chatter with his teeth and display all the symptoms
of abject terror. Pointing over Makarooroo’s shoulder
into the bush behind him, he gasped, “The leopard!”
The negro uttered a hideous yell, and, springing
nearly his own height into the air, darted behind a.
tree with the agility of a wild-cat.
Instantly Peterkin resumed his composure, and,
turning round with a look of cool surprise, said,—
“What! you’re not afraid, Makarooroo 'l”
The good-humoured fellow burst into a loud laugh
on perceiving the practical joke that had been passed
on him, and it was evident that the incident, trifling
though it was, had suddenly raised his estimation of
Peterkin to a very exalted pitch.
We now began to draw near to the enclosure, and
I was beginning to fear that our hunt was to prove
unsuccessful that day. A considerable quantity of
small game had passed us, alarmed by the cries of
the natives, but we purposely withheld our fire,
although I saw that Jack was sorely tempted once
or twice, when several beautiful gazelles, and one or
two wild pigs ran past within shot. Presently we
heard a shrill trumpeting sound, which Peterkin,
who had hunted in the forests of Ceylon, told us, in
an excited voice, was the cry of the elephant. We
hastened forward with our utmost speed, when sud-
denly we were brought to a stand, by hearing a


102 ELEPHANT n unrmc.
between ten and eleven feet high, the other could not
have been less than twelve feet. I had never seen
anything like this in the menageries of England, and
their appearance, as they burst thus suddenly on my
vision, was something absolutely appalling.
Those who have only seen the comparatively
small and sluggish animals that are wont to ring their
bells to attract attention, and to feed on ginger-
bread nuts from the hands of little boys, can form no
idea of the terrible appearance of the gigantic
monsters of Africa as they go tearing in mad fury
through the forests with their enormous ears, and
tails, and trunks erect, their ponderous tusks glisten-
ing in the sunshine, and their wicked little eyes
flashing like balls of fire as they knock down, rend
asunder, and overturn all that comes in their way.
The two that now approached us in full career
were flying before a crowd of negroes who had
already fixed a number of spears in their sides, from
which the blood wasflowing copiously. To say that
the bushes went down before them like grass, would
not give a correct idea of the ponderous rush of these
creatures. Trees of three and four inches diameter
were run against and snapt off like twigs, without
proving in any degree obstructive.
By this time the negroes had crowded in from all
sides, and, as the elephants approached the place
‘b‘


ELEPHANT HUNTING. 103
where we stood, a perfect cloud of spears and javelins
descended on their devoted sides. I observed that
many of the active natives had leaped up into the
trees and discharged their spears from above, While
others, crouching behind fallen trees or bushes, threw
them from below, so that, in a few seconds, dozens of
spears entered their bodies at every conceivable angle,
and they appeared as if suddenly transformed into
monstrous porcupines or hedge-hogs. There was
something almost ludicrous in this, but the magni-
tude and aspect of the animals were too terrible, and
our danger was too imminent, to permit anything
like comic ideas to enter our brains. I observed,v
too, that the natives were perfectly wild with ex-
citement. Their black faces worked convulsively,
and their white eyes and teeth glittered as they
leaped and darted about in a state of almost perfect
nudity, so that their aspect was quite demoniacal.
The suddenness and violence of the attack made
near to us had the effect of turning the elephants
aside, and the next instant they were tearing and
wrenching themselves through the meshes of the
tough and thorny vines. The natives closed in with
wild cries and with redoubled energy. Nothing
surprised me so much as to observe the incredible
number of spears that were sticking all over these
creatures, and the amount of blood that they lost,


104 ELEPHANT HUNTING.
without any apparent diminution of strength result-
ing. It seemed as if no human power could kill
them, and, at that moment, I almost doubted Peter-
kin’s assertion that he had, while in Ceylon, actually
killed elephants with a single ball.
While Jack, and Peterkin, and I were gazing in
deep interest and surprise at the curious struggle
going on before us, and holding ourselves in readiness
to act should there be any chance of our game
escaping, the larger of the two elephants succeeded
in disentangling himself by backing out of the snare.
He then wheeled round and charged straight at King
J ambai, who stood close to us, with incredible fury.
The beast, as it came on with the bristling spears all
over it, the blood spirting from its innumerable
wounds, and trumpeting shrill with rage, seemed to
me like some huge unearthly phantom. It was with
difficulty I could believe the whole scene other than
a hideous dream. Jambai launched his javelin into
the animal’s chest and then turned and fled. The
other natives also darted and scattered hither and
thither, so that the elephant could not make up its
mind on which of its enemies to wreak its vengeance.
We, too, turned and took to our heels at once with
right good will. All at once I heard Jack utter a
wild shout or yell, very unlike to anything I ever
heard from him before. I looked back and saw that


JACK IN DANGER. 105
his foot had got entangled in a thorny shrub, and
that the elephant was making at him.
To this day I have never been able to account for
the remarkable condition of mind and body that
ensued on this occasion. Instead of being paralyzed
as I had been when Peterkin was in imminent
danger, all sensation of fear or hesitancy seemed to
vanish on the instant. I felt my nerves and
muscles strung, as it were, and rendered firm as a
rock, and with calm deliberation, yet with the utmost
rapidity of which I was capable, I turned round,
sprang between Jack and the enraged beast, and
presented my piece at his head.
“Right in the centre of his forehead,” gasped
Jack, as he endeavoured to wrench his foot from the
entanglement.
At that moment I observed Peter-kin leap to my
side, the next instant the report of both our guns
rang through the woods, the elephant bounded com—
pletely over J ack, as Peterkin and I leaped to either
side to let itpass, and fell to the ground with such
violence that a tree, about six inches thick against
which it struck, went down before it like a willow
wand. V
\Ve immediately assisted Jack to extricate him-
self, but we had no time to congratulate ourselves on
our narrow escape, for mingled shouts and yells from


106 THE KING TREED.
the men in the bushes ahead, apprized us that some
new danger menaced them in that direction.
Re-loading as fast as we could, we hastened for-
ward and soon gained the new scene of battle. Here
stood the other elephant trying to break down a
small tree up which King J ambai had climbed, partly
for safety and partly in order to dart a javelin down
on the brute as it passed.
This was a common custom of the natives, but the
king, who was a bold reckless man, had neglected to
take the very necessary precaution of selecting a
strong tree. The elephant seemed actually to have
observed this, for, instead of passing on, it suddenly
rushed headlong against the tree and began to break
it down. When we came up the beast was heaving
and straining with all its might, the stout tree was
cracking and rending fearfully, so that the king could
scarcely retain his position on it. The natives were
plying their spears with the utmost vigour, but,
although mortally wounded, it was evident that, in
a few more seconds, the elephant would succeed in
throwing down the tree and trample the king to
death.
Peterkin instantly sprang forward, but Jack laid
his hand on his shoulder.
“ It’s my turn this time, lad,” he cried, and, leap-
ing towards the monster, he placed the muzzle of his






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run ELEPHANT KILLED. 107
rifle close to its shoulder and sent a six ounce ball
right through its heart.
' The effect was instantaneous. The elephant fell
to the ground, a mountain of dead flesh.
The delight of the negroes at this happy termina-
tion of the battle was excessive. They leaped, and
laughed, and danced like insane men, and we had
much ado to prevent them seizing us in their arms
and rubbing noses with us.
As we had not commenced the hunt until well on
in the day, evening was now closing in, so the king
gave orders to encamp on a dry rising ground not
far distant, where the jungle was less dense, and
thither we all repaired, the natives bringing in all
the game, and cutting up the elephants in a very
short space of time.
“Your shot was not such a bad one this time,
Ralph,” observed Peterkin, as we three stood looking
at the large elephant which the natives were cutting
up. “ There they are, just above the proboscis; but
let me warn you never again to venture on such a
foolhardy thing as to fire in the face of a charging
elephant unless you are a dead shot.”
“ Thank you, Peterkin, for your advice, which,
however, I will not take when a comrade’s life may
depend on my doing so.”
“ I give you full credit for the excellence of your


108 ELEPHANTS KILLED.
intention,” rejoined my friend, “ but if Jack’s life had
depended on those two shots from your double-
barrel, he would have been but a dead man now.
There is only one vulnerable spot in the front of an
elephant’s head ; that is, exactly in the centre of the
forehead.
the bone is comparatively thin there. If you cannot
The spot is not bigger than a saucer, and
make sure of hitting that, you simply face certain
death. I would not have tried it on any account
whatever, had I not seen that both you and Jack
would have been killed had I not done so.”
On examination we found that the heavy ball
from Peterkin’s rifle had indeed penetrated the exact
spot referred to, and had been the means of killing
the elephant, while my two bullets were found im-
bedded in the bone.
The tusks of this animal were magnificent. I do
not know what their exact weight was, not having
the means wherewith to weigh them. They were
probably worth a considerable sum of money in the
British market. Of course we did not lay claim to
any part .of the spoil of that day, with the exception
of a few of the beautiful birds shot on the voyage
up the river, which were of no value to the natives,
although priceless to me. Alas! when I came to
examine them next morning, I found that those
destructive creatures, the white ants, had totally


NIGHT ENCAMPMENT. 109
destroyed the greater part of them, and the few
that were worth stufling were very much damaged.
Experience is a. good, though sometimes a. severe,
teacher. Never again did I, after that, put off
the stufiing of any valuable creature till the next
day. I always stuffed it in the evening of the day
on which it was killed, and thus, although the prac—
tice cost me many a sleepless night, I preserved, and
ultimately brought home, many specimens of rare and
beautiful birds and beasts, which would otherwise
have been destroyed by those rapacious insects.
That night the scene of our camp was inde-
scribably romantic and wild. Numerous huge fires
were lighted, and round these the negroes circled and
cooked elephant and venison steaks, while they
talked over the events of the day or recounted the
adventures of former hunts with noisy volubility and
gesticulation.
The negro has a particular love for a fire. The
nights in his warm climate are chill to him, though
not so to Europeans, and he luxuriates in the heat of
a fire as a cat does in the rays of the sun. The
warm blaze seems to draw out his whole soul and
causes his eyes to sparkle with delight. A good
supper and a warm fire renders him almost perfectly
happy. There is but one thing wanting to render
him supremely so, and that is—a pipe! No doubt,


110 NIGHT ENCAMPMENT.
under similar circumstance, the white man also is in
a state of enviable felicity, but he does not show his
joy like the negro, who seems to forget his cares and
son‘ows, the miseries which his gross superstitions
entail on him, the frequency with which he is exposed
to sudden destruction, everything, in short, is for-
gotten save the present, and he enjoys himself with
unmitigated fervour.
It really did my heart good as I sat with my
comrades beside our fire and looked around me on
their happy faces, which were rendered still happier
by the gift from us of a small quantity of tobacco
with which we had taken care to provide ourselves
for this very purpose.
I_could scarcely believe that the jovial, kindly,
hearty fellows were the very men who are well
known to be such cruel blood-thirsty fiends when
under the influence of their dreadful superstitions,
and who, but a few hours before, had been darting
through the woods, besmeared with blood, and yelling
like maniacs 0r demons. In fact the whole scene
before me, and the day’s proceedings, seemed to me, at
that time, like a vivid dream, instead of a reality.
Moreover, after I lay down, the reality became a
dream, and I spent that night, as I had spent the
day, shooting gazelles, lions, wild pigs, and elephants
in imagination.


PETERKIN’S EOCENTRICITIES. 1 1 1
CHAPTER VI.
DREAMING, AND FEEDING, AND BLOODY woax
ENLARGED UPON.
THE first object of which my senses became cognizant
on awaking next morning was my friend Peterkin,
who had evidently awakened just a moment or two
before me, for he was in the act of yawning and
rubbing his eyes.
I have all my life been a student of character, and
the most interesting yet inexplicable character which I
have ever studied has been that of my friend Peterkin,
whose eccentricities I have never been able fully to
understand or account for. I have observed that, on
first awaking in the mornings, he has been wont to
exhibit several of his most eccentric and peculiar
traits, so I resolved to feign myself asleep and watch
him.
“ Heigho I” he exclaimed, after the yawn I have
just referred to. Having said this, be stretched out
both arms to the utmost above his head, and then
flung himself back at full length on his couch where
he lay still for about half a minute. Then he
started up suddenly into a sitting posture and looked
slowly from one to another of the recumbent forms
arod'nd him. Satisfied, apparently, that they were


112 PETERKIN’S ECCENTRICITIES.
asleep, he gave vent to a long yawn which terminated
in a gasp, and then he looked up contemplativer at
the sky which was, at that hour, beginning to warm
with the red rays of the rising sun. While thus
engaged, he caressed, with his right hand, the very
small scrap of whisker that grew on his right cheek.
At first it seemed as if this were an unconscious
action, but he suddenly appeared to become absorbed
in it and stared straight before him as one does when
only half-awake, mumbling the while in an under
tone. I could not make out distinctly what he said,
but I think I caught the words, “Yes, a little—a
very little thicker—six new hairs I think—umph !
slow, very slow.” Here he looked at Jack’s bushy
beard and sighed.
Suddenly he thrust both hands deep into his
breeches’ pockets and stared at the black embers of
the extinct fire; then, as suddenly, he pulled out his
hands and placing the fore finger of his right hand-
on the end of the thumb of his left, said slowly,—
“ Let me see—I’ll recall it.”
He spoke with intense gravity. ‘ Most persons do
when talking to themselves. i
“ Yes, I remember now. There were two elephants
and four—or three, was it ?—no, it must have been.
four lions. The biggest elephant had on a false front
0f fair curls and a marriage ring on its tail. Stay;


PETERKIN’S ECCENTRICITIES. 1 13
was it not the other one had that? No, it was the
biggest. I remember now, for it was just above the
marriage ring I grasped it when I pulled its_tail out. I
didn’t pull it off, for it wonldn’t come off ; it came out
like a telescope or a long piece of india-rubber. Ha I
and I remember thinking how painful it must be.
That was odd, now, to think of that. The other
elephant had on crinoline. That was odder still;
for of all animals in the world it least required it.
Well, let me see. What did I do. Oh yes, I shot
them both ; of course, that was natural-— but it wasn’t
quite so natural that the big one should vomit up a
live lion which attacked me with incredible fury. But
I killed it cleverly. Yes, it was a clever thing, un-
doubtedly, to split a lion in two, from the tip of its
nose to the extremity of its tail, with one stroke of
a pen knife !—”
At this climax I could contain myself no longer,
and burst into a loud laugh as I perceived that Peter-
kin had spent the night as I myself had- done, in
hunting—though, I confess, there was a considerable
difference in the nature of our achievements, and in
the manner of their accomplishment.
“Why, what are you laughing at?” said Jack,
sitting up and gazing at me with a stupid stare.
“ At Peterkin’s dreams,” said I.
“Ah I ” said Jack with a smiling yawn, “that’s
8


114 REMARKABLE namnmo.
it, is it? Been hunting elephants and lions,
eh i ”
“Why,.how did you guess that? ” I asked in sur-
prise, “ were you not asleep just now?”
“ Of course I was, and dreaming too, like your-
self, I make no doubt. I had just bagged my fifteenth
elephant and my tenth lion when your laugh awoke
me. And the best of it is that I was carrying the
whole hagful on my back at once, and did not feel
much oppressed by the weight.”
“That beats my dream hollow,” observed Peter-
kin, “ so it's my opinion we’d better have breakfast.
,- Hallo! Makarooroo, by! d’ye hear? rouse up, you
junk of ebony.”
“ Yis, massa, comin’,” said our guide, rising slowly
from his lair on the opposite side of our fire-place.
“ D’you hear 2 "
“Yis, massa.”
“ You’re a nigger ! ”
“ Dat am a fact.”
“ Well, being a nigger you’re a brick, so look sharp
with that splendid breakfast you promised us last
night. I’ll wager a million pounds that you had
forgotten all about it.”
“ N o, massa, me no forgit. Me up in centre ob de
night and put’im in de hole. Wat you call ’im—oben ?”
“Ay, oven, that’s it.”


ELEPIIANT’S FOOT. 115
“ Yis, well, me git ’im d’rec’ly."
“And, I say, hold on,” added Peterkin. “Don’t
you suppose I’m going to stand on ceremony with
you. Your name’s too long, by half. Too many
rooroos about it, so I’m going to call you Mak in
future, d’ye understand ? ”
The negro nodded and grinned from ear to ear as
he left us. Presently he returned with a huge round,
or lump of meat, at which we looked inquisitively.
The odour from ‘it was delightful, and the tender,
juicy appearance of the meat when Makarooroo, who
carved it for us, out the first slice, was quite appetiz-
ing to behold.
“ What is it?” inquired Peterkin.
“ Elephant’s foot,” replied the guide.
“ Gammon,” remarked Peterkin.
“ It’s true, massa. Don’t you see him’s toe ? ”
“ So it is,” said Jack.
“ And it’s first-rate,” cried I, tasting a morsel.
With that we fell to and made a hearty meal, after
which we, along with the king and all his people, re-
traced our steps to the river and returned to the native
town where we spent another day in making pre-
parations to continue our journey towards the land
of the gorilla.
During the hunt which I have just described I
was very much amused as well as amazed at the reck-


116 sums 0F TROUBLE.
less manner in which the negroes loaded their rusty
old trade-guns. They put in a whole handful of powder
each time, and above that as much shot and bits of
old iron of all kinds as they dared-—some I saw
charged thus to within a few inches of the muzzle, _
and the owners seemed actually afraid to put them
to their shoulders, as well they might be, for the re-
coil was tremendous, and had the powder been good
their guns must have been blown to pieces and them-
selves killed.
On our return to the village we found the people
on the eve of one of those terrible outbursts of super-
stitious passion which rarely if ever pass away with-
out some wretched human creature perishing under
the hands of murderers.
“ There is something wrong with the fetish-man, I
think,” remarked Jack as we disembarked at the
landing. “He seems excited. Do you know what
it can be at, Makarooroo ’.1 ”
“ J ack,” interposed Peterkin, “ I have changed his
name to Mak, so you and Ralph will please to re-
member that. Mak, my boy, what’s wrong with
your doctor? ”
The negro looked very grave and shook his head
as he replied, “ Don’ know, massa. Him’s be goin’
to rizz de peepil wid him norrible doin’s. Dere will be
death in the camp mos’ bery quick. P’raps dis night.”


sums OF TROUBLE. 117
“ That is terrible,” said I. “ Are you sure of what
you say 2 ”
“ Sartin sure,” replied the negro, with another shake
of the head.
“ Then, Mak,” said Jack,” it behoves us to look to
ourselves. You look like an honest fellow, and I be-
lieve we may trust you. We cannot expect you to
help us to fight against your own kith and kin, but
I do expect that you will assist us to escape if any
foul-play is intended. Whatever betides, it is as well
that you should know that'white men are not easily
conquered. Our guns are good—they never miss fire.
We will sell our lives dearly, you may depend on it.”
“ Ay,” added Peterkin, it is well that you should
know that ; moreover, it is well that the rascally niggers
of your tribe should know it too; so you can take
occasion to give them a hint that we shall keep our-
selves prepared for them, with my compliments.”
“ De mans oh my peepil,” replied the negro, with
some dignity of manner, “ be not wuss dan oder
mans. But dem is bad enufi'. But you no hab need
for be ’fraid. Dey no touch cle white mans. Dem
bery much glad you com’ here. If any bodies be
killed it be black mans or ’oomans.”
We felt somewhat relieved on hearing this, for to
say truth we knew well enough that three men, no
matter how well armed or resolute they might be,


118 THE KING 1s PRESSINGLY HOSPITABLE.
could not hope to defend themselves against a whole
tribe of savages in their own country. Nevertheless
we resolved to keep a sharp look out and be prepared
for the worst. Meanwhile we did all in our power
to expedite our departure.
That evening the trader started on his return jour-
ney to the coast, leaving us in charge of King J ambai,
who promised earnestly to take good care of us. We
immediately put his willingness to fulfil his promise
to the test by begging him to furnish us with men
to carry our goods into the interior. He tried very
hard to induce us to change our minds and remain
hunting with his tribe ; telling us that the gorilla
country was far far away from his lands; that we
should never reach it alive, or that if we did we should
certainly be killed by the natives who, besides being
cruel and warlike, were cannibals; and that if we did
meet in with gorillas we should all he certainly slain,
for no one could combat successfully with that fero-
cious giant of the monkey tribe.
To this we replied that we were quite aware of
the dangers we should have to encounter in our travels,
but added that we had come there for the very pur-
pose of encountering such dangers, and especially to
pay a visit to the giant monkeys in their native land,
so that it was in vain his attempting to dissuade us,
as we were resolved to go.


THE FETISH-MAN’S DOINGS. 119
Seeing that we were immovable the king eventu-
ally gave in and ordered some of his best men to
hold themselves in readiness to start with us on the
following morning. We then proceeded to his
majesty’s house, where we had supper, and afterwards
retired to our own but to rest.
But we were destined to have little or no rest that
night. The doctor or fetish-man 0f the tribe had
stirred up the passions of the people in a manner that
was quite incomprehensible to us. King Jambai, it
seems, had been for some weeks suffering from illness
——possibly from indigestion, for he was fond of gorg-
ing himself—and the medicine-man had stated that
his majesty was bewitched by some of the members
of his own tribe, and that unless these sorcerers
were slain there was no possibility of his getting
well. i
We never could ascertain why the fetish-man should
fix upon certain persons to be slain, unless it was that
he had a personal enmity against them ; but this
seemed unlikely, for two of the persons selected were
old female slaves who could never, of course, have
injured the doctor in any way. But the doings of
Africans, especially in regard to religious superstitions,
I afterwards found were so mysterious that no one
could or would explain the meaning of them to us.
And I am inclined to believe that in reference to the


120 MAKAROOROO IN TROUBLE.
meaning of many things they were themselves utterly
ignorant.
Towards midnight the people had wrought them-
selves up to a frenzied condition, and made so much
noise that we could not sleep. In the midst of the
uproar Makarooroo, who, we observed, had been very
restless all the evening, rushed into our hut, exclaim-
ing, “ Massa! mass-a! come, save my Okandaga! come
quick I ”
The poor fellow was trembling with anxiety and
was actually pale in the face, for a distinctly discernible
pallor overspreads the countenance 0f the negro when
under the influence 'of excessive terror.
Okandaga we had previously heard of, and seen.
She was, according to African notions, an exceedingly
pretty young girl, with whom our worthy guide had
fallen desperately in love. Makarooroo’s education
had done much for him, and especially in regard to
females. Having observed the kind respectful conside-
ration with which the missionaries treated their wives,
and the happiness that seemed to be the result of that
course of conduct, he resolved in his own mind to try
the experiment with one of the girls of his own tribe,
and soon after rejoining it, paid his attentions to
Okandaga, who seemed to him the most modest and
loveable girl in the village.
Poor Okandaga was first amazed and then terrified


MAK’S METHOD or woomc. 121
at the strangely gentle conduct of her lover, and
thought that he meant to bewitch her ; for, having
never before been accustomed to other than harsh and
contemptuous treatment from men, she could not be-
lieve that Makarooroo meant her any good. Gradually,
however, she began to like this respectful wooer, and
finally she agreed to elope with him to the sea-coast
and live near the missionaries. It was necessary,
however, to arrange their plans with great caution.
There was no difficulty in their getting married. A
handsome present to the girl’s father was all that was
necessary to effect that end, and a good hunter like
Makarooroo, knew he could speedily obtain possession
of his bride, but to get her removed from her tribe
and carried to the coast was quite a different affair.
While the perplexed negro was pondering this sub-
ject and racking his brains to discover a way of get-
ting over the difficulty, our arrival at the village
occurred. At once he jumped to the conclusion that
somehow or other he should accomplish his object
through our assistance; and, holding this in view, he
the more willingly agreed to accompany us to the gorilla
country, intending first to make our acquaintance, and
afterwards to turn us to account in furthering his plans.
All this we learned long afterwards. At the period of
which I am now writing, we were profoundly ignorant
of everything save the fact that Okandaga was his


122 DRINKING THE POISONED cur.
afiianced bride, and that the poor fellow was now
almost beside himself with horror because the fetish-
man had condemned her, among others, to drink the
poisoned cup.
This drinking of the poisoned cup is an ordeal
through which the unhappy victims to whom suspicion
has been attached are compelled to pass. Each one
drinks the poison, and several executioners stand by,
with heavy knives, to watch the result. If the poison
acts so as to cause the supposed criminal tofall down,
he is hacked in pieces instantly ; but if, through un-
usual strength or peculiarity of constitution, he is
enabled to resist the effects of the poison his life is
spared and he is declared innocent.
Jack, and Peterkin, and I seized our weapons, and
hurrying out, followed our guide to the spot where
this terrible tragedy was enacting.
“ Don’t fear, Mak,” said Peterkin, as we ran along,
“ we’ll save her somehow. I’m certain of that."
The negro made no reply, but I observed a more
hopeful expression on his countenance after the re-
mark. He evidently had immense faith in Peterkin ;
which I must say was more than I had, for, when I
considered our small numbers, my hope of influencing
savages was very slight.
The scene that met our eyes was indescribably
horrible. In the centre of a dense circle of negroes,


BLOODY WORK. 123
who had wrought themselves up to a pitch of fero-
city that caused them to look more like wild beasts
than men, stood the king, and beside him the doctor
or fetish-man. This latter was ornamented with a
towering head-dress of feathers. His face was painted
white, which had the effect of imparting to him an
infinitely more hideous and ghastly aspect than is pro-
duced in the white man when he is painted black.
A stripe of red passed round his head, and another
down his forehead and nose. His naked body was
decked with sundry fantastic ornaments, and altogether
he looked more like a fiend than I had believed it
possible for man to appear.
The ground all round him was saturated with blood
and strewn with arms, fingers, cleft skulls, and masses
of flesh that had been hewn from the victims who
had already fallen, one of whom, we afterwards learned,
had belonged to the royal family. Two still remained,a
young female and an old man. The emaciated frame
and white woolly head of the latter showed that in the
course of nature his earthly career must soon terminate.
It is probable that the poor old man had become a bur-
den to his relations, and the doctor took this oppor-
tunity of ridding the tribe of him. The girl was
Okandaga, who stood weeping and trembling as she
gazed upon the butchery that had already taken place.
The old man had swallowed the poison shortly be-


124 BLOODY WORK.
fore we arrived, and he was now struggling to main-
tain an erect position. But he failed, his quivering
limbs sank beneath him, and before we could interfere,
the bloody executioners had cut off his head, and then,
in a transport of passion they literally hacked his
body to pieces.
We rushed hastily forward to the king, and Jack,
in an earnest voice, implored him to spare the last
victim.
“Surely,” said he, “enough have been sacrificed
already. Tell him, Makarooroo, that I will quit his
village and never see him more, if he does not spare
the life of that young girl.”
The king appeared much perplexed by this unlooked
for interference on our part.
“I cannot check the spirits of my people now,” he
replied. “ They are roused. The girl has bewitched
me, and many others. She must die. It is our
custom. Let not my white men be offended. Let
them go to their but and sleep.”
“ We cannot sleep while injustice is done in the
village,” answered Jack in a lofty tone. “Let not
King Jambai do that which will make his visitors
ashamed of him. Let the girl live till to-morrow
at midnight. Let the case be investigated, and if she
be proved guilty then let her die.”
The king commenced a long reply in the same


omnmca RESPITEI). 125
dignified manner and tone which Jack had assumed.
While he was thus engaged Peterkin touched our guide
on the shoulder and whispered,—
“ I say, Mak, tell the doctor to back up Jack’s 're-
quest, and I’ll give him a gun."
' The negro slipped at once to the side of the doctor,
who had begun to frown fiercely on Jack, and whis-
pered a few words in his ear. Instantly his face
assumed a calmer aspect, and presently he stepped up
to the king, and a whispering conversation ensued, in
which the doctor, carefully refraining from making
any mention of the gun, commended the wise advice
of the white man, and suggested that the proposal
should be agreed to, adding, however, that he knew
for certain that the girl was a witch, but that the
investigation would do good in the way of proving
that he, the doctor, was correct, and thus the girl
should perish on the following night, and the white
men would be satisfied.
Having announced this to the multitude, the king
ordered Okandaga to be 'conducted back to her prison
and carefully guarded, and we returned to our but—
not, however, to sleep, but to consult as to what was
to be done next.
“ I knew that you wanted a respite for her,” said
Peterkin, as we sat round our fire, “ that you might
have time to consider how to act, and I backed up—


1‘26 PLANS AND PROJECTS.
your request accordingly, as you know. But now, I
confess, I’m very much at a loss what to suggest. It
seems to me we have only purchased a brief delay.”
“ True,” answered Jack ; “ the delay is not so brief,
however, but that we may plan some method of get-
ting the poor girl out of this scrape. What say you,
Mak ’l ”
“If you no can tink ’pon someting, I gib up all
hope,” replied our guide sorrowfulJy.
“ Come, Mak ; cheer up l” cried Peterkin. “ If the
worst comes to the worst, you can, at any rate, fight
for your bride.”
“ Fight!” exclaimed the negro, displaying his White
teeth like a mastiff, rolling his eyes and clenching his
fists convulsively. Then in a calmer tone he con-
tinued, “Ay, me can fight. Me could kill all de
guards an’ take Okandaga by de hand, an’ run troo
de bushes for eber. But guards no die widout hol-
lerin’ an’ yellerin’ like de gorilla; an’ nigger mans
can run fasterer dan womans. No, no, dat am dum-
possobable.” .
“ Nothing’s ‘dumpossobable’ to brave hearts and
stout arms,” replied Jack. “There are only four
guards put over her, I believe. Well, there are just
four of us—not that we require to be equal, by any
means ; Pcterkin and I could settle them easily, but
we require to be equal in numbers in order to do it


DOUBTS AND DIFFICULTIES. 127
quietly._ I have a plan in my head, but there’s one
hitch in it that I cannot unravel.
“And What may that be i ” 'I asked.
“ Why, I don’t see how, after getting clear off with
Okandaga, we are to avoid being pursued on suspi-
cion and captured.”
“ Dere is one cave,” remarked the guide, “not far
off to here. P’raps we be safe if we git into ’im.
But Iv ’fraid it not do, cause him be peepiled by
fiends an’ dead man’s spirits.”
“That’s a grave objection,” said Peterkin, laughing.
“ch, an’ de tribe neber go near dere. Dey is
most drefful terrorfied to be cotched dere.”
“ Then, that will just do,” cried Jack with anima-
tion. “ The very thing. And now I’ll tell you what
my plan is. To-morrow morning early we will tell
the king that we wish to be off at once. That we
have put off too much time already, and wish to make
no further delay. Then we’ll pack up and start. At
night we will encamp in a quiet out-of-the-way part
of the woods and slip back to the village in the dark
a short time before midnight. The whole village will
at that time be assembled, probably, at the spot where
the execution is to take place, so we can rush in,
overpower the guard, free Okandaga, and make our
escape to the cave where they will never think of
looking for us.”


128 DASHING rnorosus.
Peterkin shook his head. “ There are two diffi-
culties in your plan, Jack. First, what if the natives
are not assembled on the place of execution, and we
find it impossible to make our entrance into, or exit
from the village quietly?”
“I propose,” replied Jack, “ that we shall undress
ourselves, rub ourselves entirely over with charcoal
and grease, so that they shall not recognise us, and
dash in and carry the girl off by a coup (16 main. In
which case it will, of course, be neck or nothing, and
a. tremendous race to the cave, where, if they follow
us, we will keep them at bay with our rifles.”
“ Umph, dashing, no doubt, but risky,” said Peter-
kin, “ extremely risky. Yet it’s worth trying. Well,
my second difficulty is, what if they don’t stick to
their promise after we quit, and kill the poor thing
before midnight 2”
“ We must take our chance of that. But I shall _
put the king on his honour before leaving, and say
that I will make particular inquiry into the way in
which the trial has been conducted on my return.”
“ Put the king on his honour l ” observed Peterkin,
“I’m afraid that you’ll put his majesty on an ex-
tremely unstable foundation. However, I see nothing
better that can be done.”
“Have you any more difficulties 'l”
“ Yes,” said I. “ There is one other. \Vhat do


DIFFICULTIES. 1 29
you propose to do with the men who are to be sup-
plied us by the king during these extremely delicate
and difficult maiiwuvres ? ”
The countenances of my comrades fell at this ques-
tion.
“ I never thought of them,” said Jack.
“ Nor I,” said Peterkin.
Makarooroo groaned.
“ Well,” said I, “if you will allow me to suggest,
I would recommend that we should, towards the close
of the day, send them on ahead of us, and bid them
encamp at a certain place, saying that we shall spend
the night in hunting and return to them in the morn-
ing. , .
“The very thing,” said Jack. “Now, comrades,
to rest. I will occupy myself, until I fall asleep, in
maturing my plans and thinking out the details. Do
you the same, and if anything should occur to you
let us consult over it in the morning.”
We were all glad to agree to this, being wearied
more, perhaps, by excitement than want of rest, so
bidding each other good night we lay down side by
side to meditate, and, for my part, to dream of the
difficult and dangerous work that awaited us on the
morrow.
,7


130 DEPARTURE roa rm; INTERIOR
CHAPTER VII.
WE CIRCUMVENT THE NATIVES.
WE arose on the following morning with the dawn
of day, and began to make preparation for our de-
parture.
To our satisfaction we found the king quite will-
ing that we should go; so, embarking our goods in
one of the native canoes, we ordered our negroes
to embark, and commenced our journey amid the
firing of guns and the good wishes of the natives. I
must confess that I felt some probings of conscience
at the thought of the double part we were compelled
to play; but the recollection of the horrible fate
that awaited the poor negro girl put to flight such
feelings, and induced a longing for the time of action
to arrive.
I have more than once referred to our goods.
Perhaps it may be as well to explain that, when we
first landed on the African coast, we made inquiries
of those who were best acquainted with the nature
and requirements of the country we were about to
explore, as to what goods we ought to purchase of
the traders, in order to be in a position to pay our
way as we went along—for we could not, of course,


CIRCUMVENTING THE NATIVES.
camp and await our return, we landed and went off
into the woods as if to search for game.
“ Now, Makarooroo, quick march, and don’t draw
rein till we reach the cave,” said Jack, when we
were out of sight of the canoe.
Our guide obeyed in silence, and for the next two
hours we travelled through the woods at a sort of
half trot, that must have carried us over the ground
at the rate of five miles an hour. The pace was
indeed tremendous, and I now reaped the benefit of
those long pedestrian excursions which for years
past I had been taking, with scientific ends in view,
over the fields and hills of my native land. Jack
and Peterkin seemed both to be made of iron, and
incapable of sufl'ering from fatigue. But I have no
doubt that the exciting and hazardous nature of the
expedition on which we had embarked had much to
do with our powers of endurance.
After running and doubling, gliding and leaping
through the dense woods, as I have said, for two
hours, we arrived at a broken rocky piece of ground
over which we passed, and eventually came upon a
thick jungle that concealed a. vast clifi‘ almost entirely
from view. The cracking of the bushes, as we ap-
proached, showed that we had disturbed the slumbers
of more than one of the Wild beasts that inhabited
the spot. Here Makarooroo paused, and, although


THE HAUNTED CAVE. 133
it was intensely dark I could observe that he was
trembling violently.
“Come, Mak,” said I in a whisper, “surely you,
who have received a Christian education, do not
really believe that devils inhabit this spot?”
“Me don know, massa. Eber since me was be a
pikaniny me fraid—horrobably ’fraid ob dat cave.”
“ Come, come,” said Jack impatiently, “we have
no time for fears of any kind this night. Think of.
Okandaga, Mak, and be a man.”
This was sufficient. The guide pushed boldly
forward, and led us to the mouth of a large cavern at
which he halted and pointed to the gloomy interior.
“You have the matches, Peterkin, quick strike a
light. It is getting late,” said Jack.
In another moment a light was struck, and with
it we kindled three goodly sized torches with which
we had provided ourselves. Holding these high over
our heads we entered the cavern—Jack first, Peter-
kin second, I next, and the terrified negro in rear.
We had scarcely entered, and were peering up-
wards at the black vault overhead, when an inde-
scribable rushing sound filled the air of the cavern,
and caused the flame of our torches to flicker with
such violence that we could not see any object dis~
tinctly. We all came to a sudden pause, and I con~
fess that ;it that moment a feeling of superstitious
»


134 THE HAUNTED eavn.
dread chilled the blood in my veins. Before we
could discover the cause of this strange efi'ect several
large black objects passed through the air near our
heads with a peculiar muffled noise. Next instant
the three torches were extinguished.
Unable to command himself any longer, the negro
uttered a cry of terror and turned to fly, but Jack,
whose wits seemed always prepared for any emer-
gency, had foreseen the probability of this, and
springing quickly after him threw his arms round
his neck and effectually prevented his running away.
The noise caused by the scufile seemed to arouse
the fury of all the evil spirits of the place, for a
perfect hurricane of whirring sounds raged around
us for a few seconds.
“It’s only bats,” cried Jack, “look alive, Peterkin,
another light.”
In a few seconds the torches were rekindled and
we advanced into the cavern, and Mak, after recover-
ing from his fright and learning the cause thereof,
became much holder. The cave was about a hundred
yards deep by about fifty wide; but we could not
ascertain its height, for the light of our torches failed
to penetrate the deep gloom overhead. It was
divided into two natural chambers; the outer being
large, the inner small, a mere recess in fact. In
this latter we planted our torches and proceeded


1-
THE HAUNTED CAVE. . 13.)
with our hasty preparations. Peterkin was ready
first. We endeavoured to make ourselves as like to
the natives in vall respects as possible, and when I
looked at my companions I was obliged to confess
that except in the full blaze of the torch light I could
not discern any point of difference between them and
our guide.
“Now then, J ack,” said .Peterkin, “as you’re not
quite ready, and I am, I shall employ myself in pre-
paring a little plan of own which I intend to put in
force if the savages dare to venture into the cavern
after us.”
“Very good, but see that you finish it in less
than five minutes, for I’ll be ready in that time.”
Peterkin immediately poured out a large quantity
of powder on a flat rock and, mingling with it a
little water from a pool near by, converted it into a
semi-moist ball. This he divided into three parts,
and, forming each part into the shape of a tall cone,
laid the whole carefully aside.
“There,” said he, “lie you there until you are
wanted.”
At this moment, while Jack and I were bending
down fastening the latchet of our shoes, our ears
were saluted with one of the most appalling yells I
ever listened to. Makarooroo fell flat to the earth
in his fright, and my own heart chilled with horror,


136' PETERKIN s rcmnrmcxrms.
while Jack sprang up and instinctively grasped the
handle of his hunting knife.
“ Very good,” said Peterkin, as he stood laughing
at us quietly, and we immediately perceived that it
was he who uttered the cry.
“ Why, what mean you?” said Jack almost angrily.
“ Surely this is no time for foolish jesting.”
“ I am anything but jesting, Jack. I’m only re-
hearsing another part of my plan.”
“ But you ought to give us warning, when you
are about to do such startling things,” said I re-
monstratively.
“Nay, that would not have done at all, because
then I should not have known what effect my cry
is likely to produce on unexpectant ears.”
“ Well, now, are you all ready?” inquired Jack.
“Then let us go.”
Issuing forth armed only with our double-barrelled
guns and heavy hunting knives, we hastened towards
the native village. When within a hundred yards
of the.edge of the wood that skirted it we stopped
to pull off our shoes, for it was necessary that we
should have nothing about our persons to tell who
we were, should any one chance to see us as we ran.
We also left our rifles beside the shoes at a spot
where we could find them in an instant in passing,
and then slowly approached the outskirts of the village,


THE NIGHT ATTACK. 137
Presently we heard the hum of distant voices
shouting, and the fear that the scene of bloodshed
had already begun induced us to quicken our pace
to a smart run. I never saw a man so deeply
affected as was our poor guide, and when I looked
at him I felt extremely anxious lest his state of
mind should unfit him for acting with needful
caution.
We gained the first cottages—they were empty.
The village having been recently built, no stockade
had yet been thrown round it, so our progress was
unimpeded. _
“ We must be very cautious now,” observed Jack
in a whisper. “ Restrain yourself, Makarooroo,
Okandaga’s life depends on our coolness.”
On reaching the back of the next hut, which was
also empty, Jack motioned to us to halt, and coming
close to us looked earnestly in each of our faces with-
out saying a word. I supposed that, like a wise
general, he was reviewing his troops—seeing whether
the men he was about to lead into battle were fit
for their work.
“Now,” said he rapidly, “it’s evident from the
shouting that’s going on that they won’t waste much
time with their palaver. The hut in which she is
confined is not fifty yards off—I took care to ascer-
tain its position before leaving this morning. What


138 Tim mon'r annex.
we have to do is simple. Spring on the guards and
knock them down with our fists or the hilts of our
hunting knives or with bits of stick, as suits us best.
But mind, here he looked pointedly at our guide,
no shedding of blood if it can be avoided. These
men are not our enemies. Follow me in single file;
when I halt come up into line; let each single out
the man nearest to him and when I hold up my
hand spring like wild cats. If there happen to be
five or six guards instead of four, leave the additional
ones to me. \Ve merely nodded assent, and in another
minute were close upon the- prison. Peterkin, Mak,
and I had provided us with short heavy bludgeons
on our way. These we held in our right hands; our
left hands we kept free either to grasp our opponents
with or to draw our knives if necessary. Jack carried
his long knife-—it might almost have been termed a.
short sword—in his left hand, and from the manner
in which he clenched his right I saw that he meant
to make use of it as his principal weapon.
On gaining the back of the house we heard voices
within, but could see nothing, so we moved softly
round to the front, keeping, however, well behind the
screen of bushes. Here Jack halted, and we ranged
up a10ngside of him and peeped through the bushes.
The hut was quite open in front, and the interior
was brightly lighted by a strong fire, round which


THE NIGHT ATTACK. 139
the four guards--stout fellows, all of them—~were
seated with their spears beside them on the ground.
They were conversing in an excited tone, and taking
no notice of Okandaga who sat behind them partially
in the shade with her face buried in her hands. She
was not tied in any way, as the guards knew well
enough that she could not hope to escape them by
mere running away.
One rapid glance showed us all this, and enabled
us to select our men. Then Jack gave the signal,
and, without an instant’s hesitation, we darted upon
them. I know not in what manner my comrades
acted their part. From the moment I set eyes on
the negro nearest to me, my blood began to boil.
Somehow or other I saw Jack give the signal with-
out taking my eyes off my intended victim, then I
sprang forward and he had barely time to look up
in alarm, when I struck him with all my force on
the right temple. He fell without a groan. I
looked round instantly and there lay the other three
with my companions standing over them. Our plan
had been so well concerted, and so promptly executed
that the four men fell almost at the same instant,
and Without a cry.
Poor Okandaga leaped up and uttered a faint
scream of alarm, but Makarooroo’s voice instantly
reassured her, and with an exclamation of joy she


140 Tim masons.
sprang into his arms. There was no time for delay.
While the scene I have described was being enacted
the shouts in the centre of the village had been in-
creasing, and we guessed that in a- few minutes more
the blood-thirsty executioners would come for their
helpless victim. We therefore left the hut at once,
and ran as fast as we could towards the place where
our guns and shoes had been left. Our guide seized
Okandaga by the wrist and dragged her along, but
indeed she was so nimble that at first she required
no assistance. In a short time, however, we were
obliged to slacken our pace in order to enable her to
keep up. We reached the guns in safety, but while
we were in the act of lifting them a burst of wild
cries, that grew louder and fiercer as they approached,
told that the natives were rushing tumultuously to-
wards the prison.
“Now, lads,” said Jack, “we must put on full speed.
Mak, take her right hand—here, Okandaga, your left.”
At that instant there was a shout in the village,
so loud that we knew the escape was discovered.
An indescribable hubbub ensued, but we soon lost
it in the crackling 0f the underwood as we burst
through it in our headlong flight towards the cave.
The poor girl, feeling that her life depended on it,
exerted herself to the utmost, and with the aid of
Jack and her lover kept well up.


run RESCUE. 141
“ She’ll never hold out to the end,” said Peterkin,
glancing over his shoulder as he ran.
The cries of the savages filled the woods in all
directions, showing that they had instantly scattered
themselves in the pursuit, in order to increase their
chances of intercepting us. We had already tra-
versed the greater part of the wood that lay be-
tween the village and the haunted cavern when two
negroes, who must have taken a shorter route, de—
scried us. They instantly uttered a yell of triumph
and followed us at full speed, while from the cries
closing in upon us we could tell that the others had
heard and understood the shout. Just then Okandaga’s
strength began to fail and her extreme terror as the
pursuers gained on us tended still further to increase
her weakness. This was all the more unfortunate
that we were now almost within a couple of hundred
yards of the mouth of the cave.
Makarooroo spoke encouragineg to her, but she
was unable to reply, and it became evident that she
was about to sink down altogether. Jack glanced
over his shoulder. The two negroes were within
fifty yards of us, but no others were in sight.
“Hold my gun,” said Jack to me, sharply.
I seized it. _ He instantly stooped down, grasped
Okandaga round the waist, and without stopping,
swung her, with an exertion of strength that seemed



142 'rnn unseen.
to me incredible, into his arms. We gained the
mouth of the cavern, Jack dropt Okandaga, who
immediately ran in, while the rest of us stopped
abruptly and faced about.
“ Back, all of you,” cried Jack, “else they will be
afraid to come on.”
The words had scarcely passed his lips when the
two negroes came up, but halted a few yards from
the mouth of the cave on seeing such a giant-form
guarding the entrance
To let those men escape and reveal the place of
our concealment was not to be thought of. Jack
darted out upon them. They separated from each
other as they turned to fly. I was peeping out of!
the cave and saw that Jack could not secure them
both, I therefore darted out, and, quickly overtaking
one, seized him by the hair of the head and dragged
him into the cave with the aid of Peterkin. Jack
lifted the other savage completely from the ground,
and carried him in struggling in his gripe like a
child in its nurse’s arms.
This last episode was enacted so quickly that the
two negroes were carried into the cavern and gagged
before the other pursuers came up. At the cave’s
mouth the whole of the men of the village shortly
assembled with the king at their head. Thus far the
excitement of the chase had led them, but now


nnouos'r T0 BAY. 143
that the first burst of their rage was over, and they
found themselves on the threshold of that haunted
cavern, the fear of which had been an element in
their training from infancy, they'felt, no doubt,
overawed by superstitious dread and hesitated to
enter, although most of them must have been con-
vinced that the fugitives were there. Their fears in-
creased as their anger abated, and they crowded
round King Jambai, who seemed 10th to take upon
himself the honour of leader.
“ They must have sought shelter here,” said the
king, pointing to the cavern and looking round with
an assumption of boldness which he was evidently
far from feeling. “ Who among my warriors will
follow me i”
“ Perhaps the evil spirits have carried them away,”
suggested one of the sable crew.
“That is the word of a coward,” cried the king,
who, although somewhat timorous about spirits, was
in reality a bold, brave man, and felt nettled that
any of his warriors should show the white feather.
“If evil spirits are there, our fetish-man will drive
them away. Let the doctor stand forth.”
At that moment the doctor, worthy knavel must
have wished in his inmost soul that he had remained
quietly at home and left to warriors the task of cap-
turing the fugitives, but there was no resisting the


144 aaouoar T0 BAY.
mandate of the king; besides his honour and credit
as a fetish-man was at stake; moreover, no doubt, he
felt somewhat emboldened by the presence of such a
large number of men—there were certainly several
hundreds on the ground—s0, all things considered,
he thought it best to accept the post of leader with
a good grace. Stepping quickly forward he cried,
“Let torches be brought, and I will lead the way.”
A murmur of approbation ran through the crowd
of blacks, who, like a flock of sheep, felt bold enough
to follow a leader blindly.
While the consultation was going on outside We
were making hasty preparation for defending our-
selves to the last extremity. Peterkin, in particular,
was extremely active, and, to say truth, his actions
surprised us not a little. I once or twice fancied
that excitement had turned his brain. He first
dressed up his head in a species of wild turban made
of dried grass and tall sedgy leaves; then he put
several platehes of red and white earth on his black
face, as well as on his body in various places, and
fastened a number of loose pieces of rag, torn from a.
handkerchief, and bits of tattered leaves to his arms
and legs in such a manner as to give him an ex-
tremely wild and dishevelled appearance. I must
say that when his hasty toilette was completed he
seemed to me the most horrible-looking demon I had


I’ETERKIN COMES OUT STRONG. 145
ever conceived of. He next poured out nearly a
whole flask of gunpowder on a ledge of rock, the
edge of which was visible from the entrance to the
cave, while the rock itself concealed him from view.
Last of all, he took up the three cones of moistened
gunpowder which the reader will remember he had
made before we left the cave to attack the village.
One of these he placed among the grass and branches
on his head, the other two he held in his hands.
“Now, boys,” he said, when all was ready, “all I
have to ask of you is that you will stand by with
matches, and when I give the word light the points of
those three cones of gunpowder simultaneously and
instantly, and leave me to finish the remainder of
my part. Of course, you will be prepared to back
me up with your rifles if need be, but keep well out
of sight at first.”
“We now saw the drift of our eccentric friend’s
intention, but for my part I felt little confidence in
his success. The plan seemed altogether too wild
and absurd. But our danger was imminent. No
way of escape seemed possible, and it is wonderful how
readily men will grasp at anything in the shape of a
ruse or stratagem, no matter how silly or wild, that
affords the most distant chance of escape from danger.
Jack, too, I could see from the look of- his face, put
Jittle faith in the plan, and I observed an expression
10


146 PETERKIN comss our srnono.
on the countenance of our negro guide which seemed
to indicate that his respect for Peterkin’s wisdom
was on the wane.
We had not to wait long. The doctor, with several
torch—bearers, suddenly darted inwith a shout, followed
closely by the warriors who yelled furiously, in order,
no doubt, to keep up their courage.
Alarmed by such an unusual hubbub in their
usually quiet domain, the bats came swooping from
their holes in the walls by hundreds, and the torches
were extinguished almost instantly. The savages who
were near the entrance drew back in haste; those
who had entered stood rooted to the spot in terror.
“Now !” whispered Peterkin eagerly. .
We struck our lights at once and applied them to
the points of the gunpowder cones, which instantly
began to spout forth a shower of sparks with great
violence. Peterkin darted out from behind the rock
with a yell so appalling that we ourselves were
startled by it, having forgotten that it formed an
element in his plan. In passing he allowed a few
sparks to fall on the heap of powder, which exploded
with so bright a flame that the whole cavern was
illuminated for an instant. It also set fire to the
ragged scraps with which Peterkin had decked him-
self out-Q—a result which had neither been intended nor
anticipated, so that he rushed towards the mouth of


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nmuonucan DOINGS. 147
the cave howling with pain as well as with a desire
to scare the savages.
The effect of this apparition was tremendous.
The negroes turned and crushed through the narrow
entrance screaming and shrieking with terror. The
bats, no less alarmed than the men, and half suffo-
cated with smoke, fied out of the cave like a whirl-
wind, fiapping their wings on the heads of the negrocs
in their flight, and adding, if that were possible, to
their consternation. The negroes ran as never men
ran before, tumbling over each other in their mad
haste, dashing against trees and crashing through
bushes in their terror, while Peterkin stood leaping
in the cave’s mouth, smoking and blazing and spurt-
ing, and unable to contain himself, giving vent to pro—
longed peals of demoniacal laughter. Had the laugh
been that of negroes it might have been recognised; but
Peterkin’s was the loud, violent, British guff'a, which,
I make no doubt, was deemed by them worthy of
the fiends of the haunted cave, and served to spur
them on to still greater rapidity in their Wild career.
Returning into the cave’s innermost recess, we
lighted one of the torches dropt by the savages, and
placing it in a sort of natural niche, seated ourselves
on several pieces of rock to rest.
Our first act was to look earnestly in each other’s
faces; our next to burst into peals of laughter.


148 DEMONIACAL DOINGS.
“ I say, comrades," I exclaimed, checking myself,
“ don’t we run some risk in giving vent to our feelings
so freely '4’”
“No fear," cried Peterkin, who was still smoking
a little from unextinguished sparks. “ There is not
a man in the whole crew who will draw rein till
he is sitting, with the teeth still chattering in his
head, at his own fireside. I never saw men in such
a. fright since I was born. Depend upon it, we are
safe enough here from this day forth. Don’t you
think so, Mak?”
Our guide, who was now trying to reassure his
trembling bride, turned with a. broad grin on his
sable countenance and said,—
“Safe? H0! yis, massa. Dere not be a, man
as’l come to dis yere cuvern for de nix tree hun’r
year or more. Massa. Peterkin be de most horriboble
ghost dey ever did saw, an’ no mistake. But,
masses, we mus’ go ’way quick an’ git to our camp,
for de king sure to go dere an’ see if you no hab
someting to do wid it all. Him’s a bery clebber
king, am Jambai—bery clebber; him’s no be bug-
hummed bery easy.”
“Humbugged, you mean,’ said Jack, laughing,
“you’re right, Mak; we must set off at once; but
what are we to do with poor Okandaga, now that
we have got her?”


NEW Dlrrchers. 149
This was indeed a puzzling question. It was im—
possible to take her to our camp and account to the
negroes for her appearance in a satisfactory manner;
besides, if J ambai took it into his head to pursue us
in order to ascertain whether we had had anything
to do with the rescue, our case would be hopeless.
It was equally impossible to leave her where she was,
and to let her try to make her escape through the
woods alone was not to be thought of. \Vhile we
pondered this dilemma an idea occurred to me.
“ It seems to me,” said I, “ that men are seldom,
perhaps never, thrown into a danger or difficulty in
this world without some way of escape being opened
up, which, if they will but grasp at it promptly, will
conduct them at last out of their perplexities. Now,
it has just occurred to me that, since everything else
seems to be impossible, we might send Okandaga into
the woods with Makarooroo to guide and defend her
and to hunt for her. Let them travel in a line
parallel with the river route which we intend to
follow. Each night Mak will make a secure shelter
for her, and then return to our camp as if he had
come in from hunting. Each morning he will set
off again into the woods as if to hunt, rejoin Okan-
daga, and thus we Will journey together, as it were,
and when we reach the next tribe of natives, we will
leave the girl in their charge, until we return from


150 A sunrmsr.
the gorilla country. What do you think of that
plan '4"
“ Not a bad one,” replied Jack, “ but if Mak is
away all day what are we to do for an interpreter?”
“Make him describe to us and to the men the
day’s route before leaving us,” suggested Peterkin,
“ and as for the talking, we can manage that well
enough for all needful purposes by a mixture of the
few phrases we know with signs.”
In the excitement of this whole affair we had
totally forgotten our two prisoners, who lay not far
from us on the ground, gagged and pinioned. We
were now reminded of their presence rather abruptly.
We must have secured their fastenings badly, for, dur~
ing the time we were conversing they managed to
free themselves, and made a sudden dash past us.
Jack’s eye fortunately caught sight of them in time.
He sprang up, rushed at the one nearest him, and
throwing out his foot as he passed, tripped him up.
It chanced that at that spot there was a deep hole
in the floor of the cavern. Into this the poor wretch
plunged head first, and he was killed on the spot.
Meanwhile, the other gained the outlet of the cave,
and had almost escaped into the forest when Maka-
rooroo darted after him with the speed of an
antelope. In a few seconds we heard a cry, and
shortly after our guide returned with his knife clotted


BLOODSHED. 151
with blood. He had overtaken and slain the other
negro.
I cannot convey to the reader the horror that filled
me and my two companions at this unexpected and
melancholy termination of the affair. Yet we felt
that we were guiltless of rashly spilling human
blood, for Jack had no intention of killing the poor
negro whom he tripped up, and as to the other we
could not have prevented our guide- from doing what
he did. He himself deemed it justifiable, and said that
if that man had escaped to the village and told
who it was that frightened them out of the cave,
they would certainly have come back and mur-
dered us all. There was truth in this. Still we
could not but feel overwhelmed with sadness at the
incident.
We were now doubly anxious to get away from
this cave, so we rapidly finished the discussion of our
plan, and Jack arranged 'that he should accompany
what may be termed the overland part of our expe-
dition. This settled, we washed the charcoal off our
persons, with the exception of that on our faces,
having been advised by King J ambai himself to hunt
with black faces, as wild animals were quicker to
perceive our white skins than their black ones. Then
we resumed our garments, and quitting the haunted
cavern, set out on our return journey to the camp.


152 run VOYAGE.
CHAPTER VIII.
PK'L‘ERKIN msrmcursnns HIMSELF, AND OKANDAGA is
DISPOSED or, ETC.
WHEN within about three miles of the place where
our men had been ordered-to haul the canoe out of
the water and make the camp, we came to a. halt
and prepared a spot for Okandaga to spend an hour
or two in sleep. The poor creature was terribly ex-
hausted. \Ve selected a very sequestered place in a.
rocky piece of ground where the light of the small
fire we kindled, in order to cook her some supper,
could not be seen by any one who might chance to
pass by that way.
Jack remained with her, but the guide went on
with us in order to give instructions to our men, who,
when we arrived, seemed much surprised that we had
made such a bad hunt during the night. Having
pointed out our route, Makarooroo then left us, and
we lay down to obtain a few hours’ repose.
\Ve had not lain more than an hour when one of
our men awoke us, saying that it was time to start,
so we rose, very unwillingly, and embarked.
“ I say, Ralph,” observed Peterkin, as we glided
up the stream, which in this place was narrow and
sluggis , “isn’t it strange that mankind, as a rule,


PHILOSOPHY or EARLY RISING. 153
with very few exceptions, should so greatly dislike
getting up in the morning?”
“It is rather curious, no doubt. But I suspect
we have ourselves to thank for the disinclination.
If we did not sit up so late at night we should not
feel the indisposition to rise so strong upon us in the
morning.”
“ There you are quite wrong, Ralph. I always
find that the sooner I go to bed the later I am in
getting up. The fact is, I’ve tried every method of
rousing myself, and without success. And yet I
can say conscientiously that I am desirous of im-
proving; for when at sea, I used to have my cot
slung at the head with a block-tackle, and I got one
of the middies to come when the watch was changed
and lower me, so that my head lay on the deck
below, and my feet pointed to the beams above.
And would you believe it, I got so accustomed to
this at last that, when desperately sleepy, I used to
hold on in that position for a few minutes, and secure
a short nap during the process of suffocation with
blood to the head.”
“You must indeed have been incorrigible,” said
I, laughing. “ Nevertheless I feel assured that the
want of will lies at the root of the evil.”
“Of course you do,” retorted Peterkin testily;
“ people always say that when I try to defend myself.”


154 rmnosornv or EARLY msmc.
“ Is it not probable that people always say that
just because they feel that there is truth in the
remark?”
“ Humph!” ejaculated my friend.
“Besides,” I continued, “our success in battling
with the evil tendencies of our natures depends
often very much on the manner in which we make
the attack. I have pondered this subject deeply,
and have come to the conclusion that there is a cer-
tain moment in the awaking hour of each day which,
if seized and improved, gains for us the victory.
You know Shakspeare’s judicious remark—‘There is
a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood,
leads on to fortune,’ or something to that effect—I
never feel quite sure of the literal correctness of my
quotations, although I am generally certain as to
the substance ;-—well, there is a tide also in the affair
of getting up in the morning, and its flood-point is
the precise instant when you recover consciousness.
At that moment every one, I believe, has moral
courage to leap violently out of bed; but let that
moment pass, and you sink supinely back, if not
to sleep, at least into a desperate condition of uncon-
querable lethargy.”
“ You may be very correct in your reasoning,”
returned Peterkin; “but, not having pondered that
subject quite so deeply as you seem to have done,


PHILOSOPHY 0F EARLY msnm. 155
I shall modestly refrain from discussing it. Mean-
while I will go ashore, and stalk yonder duck which
floats so comfortably and lazily in the cove just
beyond the point ahead of us, that I think it must
be in the condition of one who, having missed the
flood—tide you have just referred to, is revelling in
the luxury of its second nap. Ho! you ebony-faced
scoundrel!” he added, turning to the negro who
steered our canoe; “ shove ashore, like a good fellow.
Come, Ralph, lend me your fowling-piece, and do
you carry my big rifle. There is nothing so good
for breakfast as a fat duck killed and roasted before
it has had time to cool.”
“ And here is a capital spot on which to break-
fast,” said I, as we landed.
“ F irst-rate. Now then, follow me, and mind
your muzzle. Better put the rifle over your shoul-
der, Ralph, so that if it does go off it may hit the
sun or one of the stars. A six ounce ball in one's
spine is not a pleasant companion in a hunting expe-
dition.” '
“But,” retorted I, “ you forget thatI am particu-
larly careful. I always carry my piece on half-cock,
and never put my finger on the trigger.”
“ Indeed! not even when you pull it?”
“ Of course when I am about to fire; but you know
well enough what I mean.”


156 AN uuzxrzo'rzo camera
“Hush, Ralph! we must keep silence now and
step lightly.” .
In a few minutes we had gained the clump of
bushes close behind which the duck lay; and Peter-
kin, going down on all fours, crept forward to get a
shot. I followed him in the same manner, and when
he stopped to take a deliberate aim, I crept up along-
side. The duck had heard our approach, and was
swimming about in a somewhat agitated manner
among the tall reeds, so that my companion made
one or two unsuccessful attempts to take aim.
“\Vhat an aggravating thing!” exclaimed Peter-
kin in a whisper.
At that moment I happened to cast my eyes across
the river, and the reader may judge of my surprise
when I beheld two elephants standing among the
trees. They stood so silently and so motionless, and
were so like in colour to the surrounding foliage,
that we had actually approached to within about
thirty yards without observing them. I touched
Peterkin on the shoulder, and pointed to them with-
out saying a word. The expression of amazement
that instantly overspread his features showed that he
also saw them.
“The rifle, Ralph,” he said in a low, excited Whis-
per.
I handed it to him. With careful deliberation he


LARGE GAME sno'r. 157
took aim, and fired at the animal nearest to us.
The heavy ball entered its huge body just behind
the shoulder. Both elephants tossed up their trunks,
and elevating their great ears they dashed furiously
into the bush; but the one that had been hit, after
plunging head foremost down a low bank, fell to the
ground with a heavy crash, quite dead.
It was a splendid shot. The natives, who almost
immediately after came up screaming with delight,
could scarcely believe their eyes. They dashed across
the river in the canoe, while some of them, regard-
less of the alligators that might be hidden there,
sprang into the water and swam over.
“ I’m sorry we did not get the duck, however,”
observed Peterkin, as we returned to the place where
we had left the canoe. “ Elephant meat is coarse,
nasty stuff, andvtotally unfit for civilized mouths,
though these niggers seem to relish it amazingly.”
“You forget the baked foot,” said I.
“Well, so I did; it was pretty good, certainly;
but that’s the only part 0’ the brute that’s fit to
eat.”
Soon after this, the canoe came back and took us
over the river; and we breakfasted on the side
where the elephant had fallen, in order to allow the
natives to cut off such portions of the meat as they
required, and to secure the tusks. Then we con-


158 ARRIVAL AT NATIVE VILLAGE.
tinued our journey, and at night encamped near a
grove of palm-trees which Makarooroo had described
to us, and where we were soon joined by him and
Jack, who told us that he had got on well during
the day—that he had shot an antelope, and had
seen a zebra and a rhinoceros, besides a variety of
smaller game. He also told us that Okandaga was
encamped in a place of safety a few miles to the
right of our position, and that she had stood the
journey well.
I was much interested by Jack’s account of the
zebra and the rhinoceros, specimens of both of
which animals I had seen in menageries, and felt
disposed to change places with him on the march;
but reflecting that he was much more likely than I
successfully to hunt anything he might pursue, I
made up my mind to remain by the canoe.
Thus we travelled for several days without any-
thing particular occurring, and at length arrived at
a native village which lay on the banks of a noble
stream.
Here Makarooroo introduced us to Mbango the
chief, a fine-looking and good-natured negro, who
received us most hospitably, supplied us with food,
and urged us to remain and hunt with his people.
This, however, we declined to do, telling our enter-
tainer that we had come to his country for the pur-


OKANDAGA DISPOSED or. 159
pose of shooting that wonderful animal the gorilla,
but assuring him that we would come back without
fail if we should be spared. We further assured
him on this head, by proposing to leave in his charge
a woman for whom we had a great respect and love,
and whom we made him promise faithfully to take
care of till we returned.
Peterkin, who soon gave them a specimen of his
powers as a marksman, and contrived in other ways
to fill the minds of the chief and his people with a
very exalted idea of his powers both of body and
intellect, endeavoured to make assurance doubly
sure by working on their superstitious fears.
“ Tell Mbango,” said he to our guide, “ that though
we be small in numbers, we are very powerful; that
we can do deeds [here he became awfully solemn
and mysterious] such as no black man ever conceived
of; and that if a hair of the head of Okandaga is
hurt, we will on our return—”
Instead of completing the sentence, Peterkin started
up, threw himself into violent contortions, rolled his
eyes in a fearful manner, and, in short, gave the
chief and his people to understand that something
quite indescribable and unutterably terrible would
be the result of their playing us false.
“ Send for Njamie,” said Mbango to one of his
retainers.


160 OKANDAGA DISPOSED or.
Njamie, who was the chief’s principal wife, soon
appeared. She led a sturdy little boy by the hand.
He was her only son, and a very fine little fellow,
despite the blackness of his skin and his almost total
want of clothing.
To this woman Mbango gave Okandaga. in charge,
directing her in our presence how to care for her,
and assuring her of the most terrible punishment
should anything befall the woman committed to her
care. '
Njamie was a mild agreeable woman. She had
more modesty of demeanour and humility of aspect
than the most of the women of her tribe whom we
happened to see, so that we felt disposed to believe
that Okandaga was placed in as safe keeping as it
was possible for us to provide for her in our circum-
stances. Even Makarooroo appeared to be quite at
ease in his mind; and it was evidently with a re-
lieved breast and a light heart that he bade adieu
to his bride, and started along with us on the follow-
ing day on our journey into the deeper recesses of
the wilderness.
_Before entering upon these transactions with the
people of this village, we took care to keep our crew
in total ignorance of what passed by sending them
on in advance with the canoe under Jack’s care, a
few hours before we brought Okandaga into the


ADVANTAGE or HEIGHT. 161
village, or even made mention of her existence; and
we secured their ready obedience to our orders, and
total indifference as to our motives in these incompre-
hensible actions, by giving them each a few inches of
tobacco, a gift which rendered them supremely happy.
One day, about a week after the events above nar-
rated, we met with an adventure which well-nigh
cost Jack his life, but which ultimately resulted in
an important change in our manner of travelling.
We were traversing an extremely beautiful country
with the goods on our shoulders, having, in conse-
quence of the increasing turbulence of the river as
well as its change of direction, been compelled to
abandon our canoe, and cut across the country in as
I straight a line as its nature would permit. But this
was not easy, for the grass, which was bright green,
was so long as to reach sometimes higher than our
shoulders;
In this species of country Jack’s towering height
really became of great use, enabling him frequently
to walk along with his head above the surrounding
herbage, while we were compelled to grope along,
ignorant of all that was around us save the tall grass
at our sides. Occasionally, however, we came upon
more open ground where the grass was short, and
then we enjoyed the lovely scenery to the full. We
met with a great variety of new plants and trees in
11


162 FEATURES or THE counrnv.
this region. Many of the latter were festooned with
wild vines and other climbing plants. Among others, a
I saw several specimens of that curious and interest-
ing tree the banyan, with its drop-shoots in every
state of growth—some beginning to point towards
the earth in which they were ultimately destined
to take root; some more than half-way down; while
others were already fixed, forming stout pillars to
their parent branches—thus, as it were, on reaching
maturity, rendering that support which it is the glory
as well as the privilege of youth to accord to age.
Besides these, there were wild dates and palmyra-
trees, and many others too numerous to mention,
but the peculiar characteristics of which I carefully
jotted down in my note-book. Many small water-
courses were crossed, in some of which Mak pointed
out a number of holes which, he said, were made
by elephants wading in them. He also told us that
several mud-pools, which seemed to have been re-
cently and violently stirred up, were caused by the
wallowing of the rhinoceros; so we kept at all times
a sharp look-out for a shot.
Lions were also numerous in this neighbourhood,
and we constantly heard them roaring at night, but
seldom saw them during our march.
Well, as I have already remarked, one day we
were travelling somewhat slowly through the long


FEATURES or THE COUNTRY. 163
grass of this country, when, feeling oppressed by the
heat, as well as somewhat fatigued with my load, I
called to Jack, who was in advance, to stop for a few
minutes to rest.
“Most willingly,” he replied, throwing down his
load, and wiping away the perspiration which stood
in large drops on his brow. “I was on the point
of calling a halt when you spoke._ How do you get
on down there, Peterkin ?”
Our friend, who had seated himself on the bale he
had been carrying, and seemed to be excessively hot,
looked up with a comical expression of countenance,
and replied,—
“Pretty well, thank’ee. How do you get on up
there ?”
“ Oh, capitally. There’s such a nice cool breeze
blowing, I’m quite sorry that I-cannot send a little
of it down.” .
“Don’t distress yourself, my dear fellow ; I’ll
come up to snuff it.”
So saying, Peterkin sprang nimbly upon J ack’s
shoulders, and began to gaze round him.
“ I say, Peterkin,” said Jack, “why are you a
very clever fellow just now ?”
“ Don’t know,” replied Peterkin. “I give it up at
once. Always do. Never could guess a riddle in all
my life.”


164 FEATURES or THE COUNTRY-
“Because,” said Jack, “ you’re ‘up to snufi’"
“ Oh, oh! that certainly deserves a pinch; so
there’s for you.”
Jack uttered a roar, and tossed Peterkin off his
shoulders, on receiving the punishment.
“Shabby fellow,” cried Peterkin, rubbing his
head. “But, I say, do let me up again. I thought,
just as you dropped me, that I saw a place where
the grass is short. Ay, there it is, fifty yards or so
ahead of us, with a palmyra tree on it. Come, let
us go rest there, for I confess that I feel somewhat
smothered in this long grass.”
We took up our packs immediately, and carried
them to the spot indicated, which we found almost
free from long grass. Here we lay down to enjoy
the delightful shade of the tree, and the magnificent
view of the country around us. Our negroes also
seemed to enjoy the shade, but they were evidently
not nearly so much oppressed with the heat as we
were, which was very natural. They seemed to have
no perception of the beautiful in nature, however,
although they appreciated fully the agreeable influ—
ences by which they were surrounded.
While I lay at the foot of that tree, pondering this
subject, I observed a very strange-looking insect en-
gaged in a very curious kind of occupation. Peterkin’s
eye caught sight of it at the same. instant with mine.


CURIOUS ANT-EATER. 165
“ Hallo l Jack, look here l” he cried in a whisper.
“ I declare, here’s a beast been and shoved its head
into a hole, and converted its tail into a trap I”
We all three lay down as quietly as possible, and
I could not but smile when I thought of the literal
correctness of my friend’s quaint description of what
we saw.
The insect was a species of ant-eater. It was
about an inch and a quarter long, as thick as a crow-
quill, and covered with black hair. It put its head
into a little hole in the ground, and quivered its tail
rapidly. The ants, which seemed to be filled with
curiosity at this peculiar sight, went near to see what
the strange thing could be; and no sooner did one
come within the range of the forceps on the insect’s
tail, than it was snapped up.
“Now, that is the most original trapper I' ever
did see or hear of,” remarked Peterkin, with a broad
grin. “ I’ve seen many things in my travels, but I
never expected to meet with a beast that could catch
others by merely wagging its tail.”
“ You forget the hunters of North America,” said
J ack, “who entice little antelopes towards them by
merely wagging a bit of rag on the end of a ramrod.”
“ I forget nothing of the sort,” retorted Peterkin.
“ Wagging a ramrod is not wagging a tail. Besides,
I spoke of beasts doing it; men are not beasts.”


166 BAD LOGIC.
“ Then I hold you self-convicted, my boy,” ex—
claimed Jack; “ for you have often called me a beast.”
“By no means, Jack. I am not self-convicted,
but quite correct, as I can prove to the satisfaction of
any one who isn’t a philosopher. You never can
prove anything to a philosopher.”
“Prove it, then.”
“I will. Isn’t a monkey a beast 2”
“ Certainly.”
“ Isn’t a gorilla a monkey?”
“ No doubt it is.”
“ And arn’t you a gorilla ?”
“I say, lads, it’s time to be going,” cried Jack,
with a laugh, as he rose and resumed his load.
At that moment Mak uttered an exclamation, and
pointed towards a particular spot in the plain before
us, where, close by a clump of trees, we saw the
graceful head and neck and part of the shoulders of
a giraffe. We were naturally much excited at the
sight, this being the first we had fallen in with.
“ You’d better go after it,” said Jack to Peterkin,
“and take Mak with you.”
“ I’d rather you’d go yoursel ,” replied Peterkin;
“for, to say truth, I’m pretty well knocked up to-
day. I don’t know how it is,——one day one feels
made of iron, as if nothing could tire one, and the
next, one feels quite weak and spiritless.”


JACK sons orr rr0 HUNT. 167
“Well, I’ll go; but I shall not take any one with
me. Take observation of the sun, Mak, and keep a
straight course as you are now going until night.
D’ye see yonder ridge?”
“ Yes, massa.”
Then hold on direct for that, and encamp there.
I’ll not be long behind you, and hope to bring you a
giraffe steak for supper.”
We endeavoured to dissuade Jack from going out,
alone, but he said truly that his load distributed
among us all was quite suflicient, without adding to
it by taking away another member of the party.
Thus we parted; but I felt a strange feeling of de-
pression, a kind of foreboding of evil, which I could
not shake off, despite my utmost efforts. Peterkin,
too, was unusually silent, and I could not avoid see-
ing that he felt more anxiety on account of {lack’s
rashness than he was willing to allow. Our friend
took with him one of our large-bore rifles, and a
double-barrel of smaller bore slung at his back.
Shortly after parting with him, we descried an
ostrich feeding in the plain before us. I had long
desired to meet with a specimen of this gigantic bird
in its native wilds, and Peterkin was equally anxious
to get a shot at it; so we called a halt, and prepared
to stalk it. We were aware that the ostrich is a
very silly and very timid bird, but not being aware


168 osrmcn HUNTING.
I of the best method of hunting it, we asked Maka-
rooroo to explain how he was in the habit of doing it.
“ You mus’ know,” he began, “ dat bird hims be
a mos’ ex’roroninary beast. When hims run hims
go fasterer dan—oh! it be dumpossobable for say
how much fast hims go. You no can see him’s legs;
day go same as legs 0b leetle bird. But hims be
horrobably stupid. Suppose he see you far far away,
goin’ to de wind’ard ob him, he no run ’way to lee-
ward; hims tink you wants to get round him, so off
him start to git past you, and before hims pass he
sometimes come close ’nufi' to be shooted or speared.
Me hab spear him dat way, but him’s awful differ-
cult to git at for all dat.”
“Well, then, Mak, after that lucid explanation,
what d’you propose that we should do ’4” inquired
Peterkin, examining the locks of his rifle.
“Me pruppose dat you go far ober dere, Massa
Ralph go not jist so far, and me go to de wincl’ard
and gib him fright.”
Acting upon this advice, we proceeded cautiously
to the several spots indicated, and our guide set off
towards an exposed place, where he intended to show
himself. In a few minutes we observed the gigantic
bird look up in alarm, and then we saw Maka-
rooroo running like a deer over the plain. The
ostrich instantly rushed ofi' madly at full speed, not,


os'rarcn HUNTING. 169
as might have been expected, in a contrary direction,
or towards any place of shelter, but simply, as it
appeared to me, with no other, end in view than
that of getting to windward of his supposed enemy.
I observed that he took a direction which would
quickly bring him within range of my Companion’s
rifle, but I was so amazed at the speed with which
he ran that I could think of nothing else.
.Every one knows that the ostrich has nothing
worthy of the name of wings—merely a small tuft
of feathers at each side, with which he cannot make
even an attempt to fly ; but every one does not know,
probably, that with his stout and long legs he can
pass over the ground nearly at the ordinary speed of
a locomotive engine. I proved this to my own satis-
faction by taking accurate observation. On first
observing the tremendous speed at which he was
going, I seized my note-book, and pulling out my
watch, endeavoured to count the number of steps he
took in a minute. This, however, I found was
totally impossible; for his legs, big though they
were, went so fast that I could no more count them
than I could count the spokes of a carriage-wheel.
I observed, however, that there were two bushes on
the plain in the direction of his flight, which he
would soon have to pass. I therefore laid down my
note-book and rifle, and stood with my watch in


170 osrawn HUNTING.
hand, ready to note the precise instants at which he
should pass the first and second. By afterwards
counting the number of footsteps on the ground be
tween the bushes, and comparing the result with the
time occupied in passing between the two,- I thus
proposed to myself to ascertain his rate of speed.
Scarcely had I conceived this idea when the bird
passed the first bush, and I glanced at my watch;
then he passed the second, and I glanced again.
Thus I noted that he took exactly ten seconds to
pass from one bush to the other. While I was in
the act of jotting this down I heard the report of
Peterkin’s rifle, and, looking up hastily, saw the tail-
feathers of the ostrich knocked into the air, but the
bird itself passed on uninjured. I was deeply morti-
fied at this failure, and all the more so that, from
past experience, I had been led to believe that my
friend never missed his mark. Hurrying up, I ex-
claimed;—
“ Why, my dear fellow, what can have come over
you i”
Poor Peterkin seemed really quite distressed ; he
looked quite humbled at first,
“Ah 1” said he, “it’s all very well for you to say,
‘ \Vhat has come over you ?’ but you ought to make
allowance for a man who has carried a heavy load all
the forenoon. Besides, he was almost beyond range.


osrmcn HUNTING. 171
Moreover, although I have hunted a good deal, I
really have not been in the habit of firing at animal
locomotives under full steam. Did you ever see such
a slapping pace and such an outrageous pair of legs,
Ralph 2”
“ Never,” said I. “But come with me to yonder
bushes. I’m going to make a calculation.”
“What’s a calcoolashun 2” inquired our guide, who
came up at that moment, panting violently.
“ It’s a summation, Mak—a case of counting up,
one, two, three, &c.——and may-be multiplying, sub-
tracting, and dividing into the bargain.”
“ Ho! dat’s what me been do at de missionary
school.”
“ Exactly; but what sort of calculation Ralph
means to undertake at present I know not. Per-
haps he’s going to try to find out whether, if we
were to run at the rate of six miles an hour till
doomsday, in the wrong direction, there would be
any chance of our ever sticking that ostrich’s tail
again on his big body. But come along—we shall
see.”
On reaching the spot I could scarcely believe my
eyes. Each step this bird had taken measured four-
teen feet in length! I always carried a rolled up
yard measure about with me, which I applied to the
steps, so that I could make no mistake. There were


172 cusrous CALCULATIONS.
exactly thirty of those gigantic paces between the two
bushes. This multiplied by six gave 180 steps, or
2520 feet in one minute, which resulted in 151,200
feet, or 50,400 yards, or very nearly thirty miles
in the hour.
“ N o wonder I only knocked his tail off,” said
Peterkin.
“ On the contrary,” said I, “ the wonder is that
under the circumstances you hit the bird at all.”
On further examination of the place where we had
seen the ostrich before it was alarmed we ascertained
that his ordinary walking pace varied from twenty
to twenty-six inches in length.
After this unsuccesful hunt we returned to our com-
rades and proceeded to the rendezvous where we ex-
pected to find Jack, but as he was not there we con-
cluded that he must have wandered further than he
intended, so, throwing down our packs we set about
preparing the camp and a good supper against his
return. Gradually the sun began to sink low on the
horizon. Then he dipped below it, and the short
twilight of those‘latitudes was rapidly merging into
night, but Jack did not return, and the uneasiness
which we had all along felt in regard to him, increased
so much that we could not refrain from showing it.
“ I’ll tell you what it is, Ralph,” cried Peterkin,
starting up suddenly. “I’m not going to sit here


ANXIETIES ABOUT JACK. 173
wasting the time when Jack may be in some despe-
rate fix. I’ll go and hunt for him.”
“ Me tink you right,” said our guide, “ dere is ebery
sort ob ting here. Beasties and mans. Pr’aps massa
Jack am he kill.”
I could not help shuddering at the bare idea of
such a thing, so I at once seconded my companion’s
proposal and resolved to accompany him.
“ Take your double barrel, Ralph, and I’ll lend our
spare big gun to Mak.”
“ But how are we to proceed? which way are we
to go? I have not the most distant idea as to what
direction we ought to go in our searc .”
“ Leave that to Mak. He knows the ways 0’
the country best, and the probable route that Jack
has taken. Are you ready 2 ”
“Yes—shall we take some brandy?”
“ Ay, well thought of. He’ll perhaps be the better
of something of that sort if anything has befallen him.
Now, then, let’s go.”
Leaving our men in charge of the camp with strict
injunctions to keep good watch and not allow the fires
to go down lest they should be attacked by lions we
three set forth on our nocturnal search. From time
to time we stood still and shouted in a manner that
would let our lost friend know that we were in search
of him, should he be within ear-shot, but no answer-


17 4 THE SEARCH.
ing cry came back to us, and we were beginning to
despair when we came upon the footprints of a man
in the soft soil of a swampy spot we had to cross. It
was a clear moonlight night, so that we could dis—
tinguish them perfectly.
“ Ho I ” exclaimed our guide, as he stooped to exa-
mine the marks.
“ Well, Mak, what do you make of it 2 ” inquired
Peterkin anxiously.
Mak made no reply for a few seconds; then he rose
and said earnestly, “ Dat am massa Jack’s foot.”
I confess that I was somewhat surprised at the air
of confidence with which our guide made this state-
ment, for after a most careful examination of the
prints, which were exceedingly indistinct, I could dis-
cern nothing to indicate that they had been made by
Jack.
“ Are you sure, Mak '12” asked Peterkin.
“ Sartin sure, massa.”
“ Then push on as fast as you can.” ’
Presently we came to a spot where the ground was
harder and the prints more distinct.
‘* Ha I you’re wrong, Mak,” cried Peterkin, in a voice
of disappointment as he stooped to examine the foot-
steps again. “ Here we have the print of a naked
foot—Jack wore shoes ; and, what’s this? blood ! ”
“ Yis, massa, me know dat massa Jack hab shoes.


THE WOUNDED MAN. 175
But dat be him’s foot for all dat, and him’s hurt some
how for certain.”
The reader may imagine our state of mind on mak-
ing this discovery. Without uttering another word
We quickened our pace into a smart run, keeping
010sely in the track of Jack’s steps. Soon we observed
that these deviated from side to side in an extraordi-
nary manner as if the person who made them had
been unable to walk straight. In a few minutes
more we came on the footprints of a rhinoceros, a
sight which still further increased our alarm. On
coming out from among a clump of low bushes that
skirted the edge of a small plain we observed a dark
object lying on the ground about fifty yards distant
from us. I almost sank down with an undefinable
feeling of dread on beholding this.
We held our rifles in readiness as we approached
it at a quick pace, for we knew not whether it was
not a wild animal which might spring upon us the
moment we came close enough. But a few seconds
dispelled our dread of such an attack and confirmed
our worst fears, for there, in a pool of blood, lay J ack’s
manly form. The face was upturned, and the moon
which shone full upon it showed that it was pale as
death and covered with blood. His clothes were rent
and dishevelled and covered with dust as if he had
struggled hard with some powerful foe, and all round


176 THE wourmnn MAN.
the spot were footprints of a, rhinoceros, revealing
too clearly the character of the terrible monster with
which our friend had engaged in unequal conflict.
Peterkin darted forward, tore open Jack’s shirt at
the breast, and laid his hand upon his heart.
“Thank God,” he muttered in a low subdued tone,
“he’s not dead. Quick, Ralph, the brandy-flask.”
I instantly poured a little of the spirit into the
silver cup attached to the flask and handed it to
Peterkin who, after moistening Jack’s lips, began assi—
duously to rub his chest and forehead with brandy.
Kneeling down by his side I assisted him, while Maka-
rooroo applied some to his feet. While we were thus
engaged we observed that our poor friend’s arms and
chest had received several severe bruises and some
slight wounds, and we also discovereda terrible gash
in his right thigh which had evidently been made by
the formidable horn of the rhinoceros. This, and
the other wounds which were still bleeding pretty
freely, we stanched and bound up, and our exertions
were at length rewarded by the sight of a faint tinge
of colour returning to J ack’s cheeks. Presently his
‘eyes quivered, and heaving a short broken sigh he
looked up. ,
“Where am I? eh 1 Why, what’s wrong? what has
happened?” he asked faintly in a tone of surprise.”
“ All right, old boy. Here, take a swig of this, you


JACK’S MISFORTUNE. 177
abominable gorilla,” said Peterkin, holding the brandy
flask to his mouth, while one or two tears of joy
rolled down his cheeks.
Jack drank and rallied a little.
“ I’ve been ill, I see,” he said gently. "Ah! I re-
member now. I’ve been hurt, the rhinoceros—eh?
have you killed it? I gave it a good shot. It must
have been mortal, I think.”
“ Whether you’ve killed it or not I cannot tell;”
said I, taking off my coat and putting it under Jack’s
head for a pillow, “ but it has pretty nearly killed
you. Do you feel worse, Jack 2”
I asked this in some alarm, observing that he had
turned deadly pale again.
“ He’s fainted, man, out 0’ the way,” cried Peter-
kin, as he applied the brandy again to his lips and
temples.
In a few seconds Jack again rallied.
“ Now, Mak, bestir yourself,” cried Peterkin throws
ing off his coat. “Cut down two stout poles, and
we’ll make some sort of litter to carry him on.”
“ I say, Ralph,” whispered Jack faintly, “ do look
to my wounds and see that they are all tightly bound
up. I can’t afford to lose another drop of blood.
It’s almost all drained away, I believe.”
While I examined my friend’s wounds and read—
justed the bandages my companions cut down two
12


178 JACK’S MISFORTUNE.
poles. These we laid on the ground parallel to each
other and about two feet apart, and across them laid
our three coats which we fastened in a rough fashion
by means of some strong cords which I fortunately
happened to have with me. On this rude litter we
laid our companion, and raised him on our shoulders.
Peterkin and I walked in rear, each supporting one of
the poles, while Makarooroo, being the stoutest of the
three, supported the entire weight of the other ends
on his broad shoulders. Jack bore the moving better
than we had expected, so that we entertained san-
guine hopes that no bones were broken, but that loss
of blood was all he had to suffer from.
Thus slowly and with much difficulty we bore our
wounded comrade to the camp. '


A NATIVE VILLAGE. 179
CHAPTER IX.
I DISCOVER A CURIOUS INSECT, AND PETERKIN TAKES A
STRANGE smear.
IT happened most fortunately at this time that we
were within a short day's journey of a native village,
to which, after mature consideration, we determined to
convey Jack and remain there until he should be sufii-
cientlyrecoveredto permit of our resuming our journey.
Hitherto we had studiously avoided the villages that
lay in our route, feeling indisposed to encounter un-
necessarily the risk of being inhospitably received;
perhaps even robbed of our goods, if nothing worse
should befall us. There was, however, no other
alternative now, for Jack’s wounds were very severe,
and the amount of blood lost by him was so great
that he was as weak as a child. Happily no bones
were broken, so we felt sanguine that by careful
nursing for a few weeks we should get him set firmly
upon his legs again.
On the following morning we set forth on our
journey, and towards evening reached the village,
which was situated on the banks of a small stream,
in the midst of a beautiful country composed of
mingled plain and woodland.
It chanced that the chief of this village was con—


180 CURIOSITY or NATIVES.
nected by marriage with King Jambai,amost fortunate
circumstance for us as it insured our being hospitany
received. The chief came out to meet us riding on
the shoulders of a slave, who, although a much
smaller man than his master, seemed to support his
load with much ease. Probably habit had strengthened
him for his special work. A large hut was set apart
for our accommodation; a dish of yams, a- roast monkey,
and a couple of fowls were sent to us soon after our
arrival, and in short we experienced the kindest
possible reception.
None of the natives of this village had ever seen
a. white face in their lives, and, as may well be
imagined, their curiosity and amazement were un-
bounded. The people came constantly crowding
round our hut, remaining, however, at a respectful
distance, and gazed at us until I began to fear they
would never go away.
Here we remained for three weeks, during which
time Jack’s wounds healed up, and his strength
returned rapidly. Peterkin and I employed ourselves
in alternately tending our comrade, and in scouring
the neighbouring woods and plains in search of wild
animals.
As we were now approaching the country of the
gorilla,—-although, indeed, it was still far distant—
our minds began to run more upon that terrible


DOUBTS AND FEARS. 181
creature than used to be the case; and our desire to
fall in with it was increased by the strange accounts
of its habits and its tremendous power that we
received from the natives of this village, some of
whom had crossed the desert and actually met with
the gorilla face to face. More than once, while out
hunting, I have been so taken up with this subject,
that I have been on the point of shooting a native
who appeared unexpectedly before me, under the
impression that he was a specimen of the animal on
which my thoughts had been fixed. ,
One day about a week after our arrival, as I was
sitting at the side of Jack’s couch relating to him the
incidents of a hunt after a buffalo that Makarooroo
and I had had the day before, Peterkin entered with
a swaggering gait, and, setting his rifle down in a
corner, flung himself on the pile of skins that formed
his couch.
“I’ll tell you what it is,” said he, with the look
and tone of a man who feels that he has been .un~
warrantably misled, “I don’t believe there’s such a
beast as a gorilla at all! now, that’s a fact.”
There was something so confident and emphatic in
my comrade’s manner that, despite my well-grounded
belief on that point, I felt a sinking at the heart.
The bare possibility that, after all our trouble and
toil and suffering in penetrating thus far towards the


182 nomrrs AND FEARS.
land which he is said to inhabit, we should find
that there really existed no such creature as the
gorilla was too terrible to think upon.
“Peterkin,” said I anxiously, “what do you
mean? ”
“I mean,” replied he, slowly, “that Jack is the
only living specimen of the gorilla in Africa."
“Come, now, I see you are jesting.”
“Am I?” cried Peterkin savagely, “jesting'i eh!
That means expressing thoughts and opinions which
are not to be understood literally. Oh, I would
that I were sure that I am jesting! Ralph, it’s my
belief, I tell you, that the gorilla is a regular sell—
a great big unnatural hairy do!”
“But I saw the skeleton of one in London.”
“ I don’t care for that. You may have been
deceived, humbugged. Perhaps it was a compound
of the bones of a buffalo and a chimpanzee.”
“Nay, that were impossible,” said I, quickly, “ for
no one pretending to have any knowledge of natural
history and comparative anatomy could be so grossly
deceived.”
“What like was the skeleton, Ralph?” inquired
Jack, who seemed to be rather amused by our con~
versation.
“It was nearly as tall as that of a medium sized
man, I should think about five feet seven or eight


DOUBTS AN'D FEARS. 183
inches; but the amazing part about it was the
immense size and thickness of its bones. Its shoulders
were much broader than yours, Jack, and your chest
is a mere child’s compared with that of the specimen
of the gorilla that I saw. Its legs were very short
—much shorter than those of a man, but its arms
were tremendous—they were more than a foot longer
than yours. In fact, if the brute’s legs were in the
same proportion to its body as are those of a man
it would be a giant of ten or eleven feet high. 01',
to take another view of it, if you were to take a
robust and properly proportioned giant of that height,
and cut down his legs until he stood about the height
of an ordinary man, that would be a gorilla.”
“ I don’t believe it,” cried Peterkin.
“Well, perhaps my simile is not quite so felicitous
aé—i’
“ I don’t mean that,” interrupted Peterkin, “ I
mean that I don’t believe there’s such a brute as a
gorilla at a .”
“ Why, what has made you so sceptical?” inquired
Jack.
“ The nonsense that these nigger-s have been telling
me, through the medium of Mak as an interpreter;
that is what has made me sceptical. Only think,
they say that a gorilla is so strong that he can lift a
man by the nape of the neck clean off the ground
,_ ~11.=I¢Y=E;;_____m V I
M 7,4- n in _


184 FEATS or THE comnm.
with one of his hind feet! Yes, they say he is in the
habit of sitting on the lower branches of trees in
lonely dark parts of the wood watching for prey, and
when a native chances to pass by close enough he
puts down his hind foot, seizes the wretched man
therewith, lifts him up into the tree and quietly
throttles him. They don’t add whether or not he
eats him afterwards, or whether he prefers him boiled
or roasted. Now, I don’t believe that."
“ Neither do I,” returned Jack, “nevertheless the
fact that these fellows recount such wonderful stories
at all, is, to some extent, evidence in-favour of their
existence, for in such a country as this where so
many wonderful and horrible animals exist, men are
not naturally tempted to invent new creatures ; it is
sufficient to satisfy their craving for the marvellous that
they should merely exaggerate what does already exist.”
“ Go to, you sophist! If what you say be true,
and the gorilla turns out to be only an exaggerated
chimpanzee or ring-tailed-roarer, does not that come
to the same thing as saying that there is no gorilla
at all,—always, of course, excepting yourself 1” -'
“ Credit yourself w'ih a punched head," said Jack,
“and the account shall be balanced when I am
sufficiently recovered to pay you off. Meanwhile,
continue your account of what the niggers say about
the gorilla.”
' .7 " "'J'~—*~'v‘~ ‘ ~ W-_!-1-._:;--v~> M—


runs or THE GORILLA. 185
Peterkin assumed a look of offended dignity as he
replied,—
“ Without deigning any rejoinder to the utterly
absurd and totally irrelevant matter contained in the
preliminary sentences of your last remark, I pass on
to observe that the natives of these wilds hold the
opinion that there is one species of the gorilla which
is the residence of the spirits of defunct niggers,
and that these fellows are known by their unusual
size and ferocity.” ‘
“Hold,” cried I, “ until I get out my note-book.
New, Peterkin, no fibs.”
“Honour bright,” said he, “I’ll give it you just
as I got it. These possessed brutes are never caught
and can’t be killed. (I only hope I may get the
chance to try whether that be true or not). They
often carry otf natives into the woods where they
pull out their toe and finger nails by the roots and
then let them go; and they are said to be uncommonly
fond of sugar-cane which they steal from the fields
of the natives sometimes in a very daring manner.”
“Is that all? "said I.
“All!” exclaimed my cowade. “ How much
more would you have? Do you suppose that the
gorilla can do anything it likes?——haug by its tail
from the moon ?——or sit down on its nose and run
round on its chin?”
*" "M" “M:


186 MAK IS MYSTERIOUS.
“ Massa J ack,” said Makarooroo, entering the hut
and interrupting our conversation at this point, “de
chief hims tell to me for to tell to you dat w’en you’s
be fit for go-hid agin hims gib you cottle for sit
7)
upon.
“ Cottle, Mak, what’s cattle,” inquired Jack with
a puzzled look.
“ Ho, massa, you know bery well—jist cottle—
boxes you know.”
“Indeed, I don’t know,” replied Jack still more
puzzled.
“I’ve no doubt,” interposed Peterkin, “that he
means cuttle, which is the short name for cuttle-fish,
which, in such an inland place as this, must of course
be hoaxes! But what do you mean, Mak? describe
the thing to us.”
Mak scratched his woolly pate, as if he were quite
unable to explain himself.
“ O massas, you be most stoopid dis yer day. Cottle
not a ting; hims am a beast, vvid two horn an’ one
tail. Dere,” said he, pointing with animation to a
herd of cattle that grazed near our hut, “ dat’s cottle,
or boxes.” .
We all laughed at this proposal.
“What!” cried Jack, “ does he mean us to ride
upon ‘hoxes’ as if they were horses!”
“ Yis, massa, hims say dat. Hims hear long ago
‘ mm
'lez-s-mfl


NEW PLANS. 187
ob one missionary as hab do dat; so de chief he tink
it bery good idea an’ hims try too, an’ like it bery
much; only hims fell off ebery tree steps an’ a’most
broke all de bones in him’s body down to powder.
But hims git up agin and fell hofi' agin; 0h, hims
like it bery much!”
“ If we follow the chief’ s example,” said I, laughing,
“ we shall scarcely be in a fit state to hunt gorillas
at the end of our journey; but, now I come to think
of it, the plan seems to me not a bad one. You
know a great part of our journey now lies over a
comparatively desert country, where we shall be none
the worse of a ride now and then on ox-back to
relieve our limbs. I think the proposal merits con-
sideration.”
“Right, Ralph,” said Jack, “ go, Mak, and tell his
majesty, or chieftainship, or his royal highness, with
my compliments, that I am much obliged by the offer,
and will consider it. Also give him this plug of
tobacco; and see you don’t curtail its dimensions before
it leaves your hand, you rasca .”
Our guide grinned as he left the but to execute
his mission, and we turned to converse on this new
plan, which, the more we thought of it, seemed the
more to grow in our estimation, as most feasible.
“ Now, lads, leave me,” said Jack, with a sigh, after
we had chatted for more than an hour. “ If I am to


188 THE WA LK.
go through all that our worthy host seems to have
suffered, it behoves me to get my frame into a fit
state to stand it. I shall therefore try to sleep.”
So saying he turned round on his side, and we
left him to his slumbers.
As it was still early in the afternoon, we two
shouldered our rifles and strolled away into the woods,
partly with the intention of taking a shot at anything
that might chance to come in our way, but chiefly
with the. view of having a pleasant chat about our
prospect of speedily reaching that goal of our ambition
—the gorilla country.
“ It seems to me,” observed Peterkin, as we walked
side by side over an open grassy and flower speckled
plain, that lay about a couple of miles distant from
the village, “it seems to me that we shall never
reach this far famed country.”
“I have no doubt that we shall,” said I, “ but
tell me, Peterkin, do you really doubt the existence
of the gorilla?”
“ Well, since you do put it to me so very seriously,
I can scarce tell what I believe, The fact is, that
I’m such a sceptical wretoh by nature that I find it
difficult to believe anything unless I see it.”
I endeavoured to combat this very absurd state
of mind in my companion, by pointing out to him very
clearly that if he were to act upon such a principle


oumous mscovanr. 189
at all times, he would certainly disbelieve many of
the commonest facts in nature, and give full credit,
on the other hand, to the most outrageous absurdi-
ties.
“For instance,” said I, “ you would believe that
every conjurer swallows fire, and smoke, and pen-
knives, and rabbits, because you see him do it, and
you would disbelieve the existence of the pyramids
because you don’t happen to have seen them.”
“Ralph,” said my companion seriously, “ don’t go
in too deep, else I shall be drowned l”
I was about to make some reply, when my atten- '
tion was attracted by a very singular appearance
of moisture at the foot of a fig-tree under which we
were passing. Going up to it I found that there
was a small puddle of clear water near the trunk. This
occasioned me much surprise, for no rain had fallen
in that district since our arrival, and probably there
had been none for a long period before that. The
ground everywhere, except in the large rivers and
water-courses, was quite dry, insomuch that, as I have
said, this little solitary pool (which was not much
larger than my hand) occasioned us much surprise.
“How comes it there?” said I.
“ That’s more than I can tell,” replied Peterkin,
“ perhaps there’s a small spring at the root of the
tree.”


190 cumous mscovnnv.
“ Perhaps there is,” said I, searching carefully
round the spot in all directions, but I found nothing
to indicate the presence of a spring—and, indeed,
when I came to think of it, if there had been a spring
there would also certainly have been a water-course
leading from it. But such was not the case. Pre-
sently I observed a drop of water fall into the pool,
and, looking up, discovered that it fell from a cluster
of insects that clung to a branch close over our
heads.
I at once recognised this water-distilling insect as
an old acquaintance. I had seen it before in Eng-
land, although of a considerably smaller size than this
African one. My companion also seemed to be
acquainted with it, for he exclaimed,—
“ H01 I know the fellow. He’s what we used
at home to call a. ‘frog~hopper’ after he got his wings,
and a ‘cuckoo-spit ’ before that time; but these ones
are six times the size of ours.”
I was aware that there was some doubt among
naturalists as to whence these insects procured the
water they distilled. My own opinion, founded on
observations made at this time, lead me to think
the greater part of the moisture is derived from the
atmosphere, though, possibly, some of it may be pro-
cured by suction from the trees. I afterwards paid
several visits to this tree, and found, by placing a


A BUFFALO BULL. 191
vessel beneath them, that these insects distilled during
a single night as much as three or four pints of Water I
Turning from this interesting discovery we were
about to continue our walk when we observed a
buffalo bull feeding in the open plain, not more than
five or six hundred yards off from us.
“Hal Ralph, my boy,” cried Peterkin enthusi-
astically, “here is metal more attractive! Follow
me, we must make a detour in order to get to lee-
ward of him.”
We set off at a brisk pace, and I freely confess
that, although the contemplation of the curious pro-
cesses of the water-distilling insect afforded me deeper
and more lasting enjoyment, the gush of excitement
and eagerness that instantly followed the discovery
of the wild buffalo-bull enabled me thoroughly to
understand the feeling that leads men—especially
the less contemplative among them—infinitely to
prefer the pleasures of the chase to the calmer joys
attendant upon the study of natural history.
At a later period that evening I had a discussion
with my companions on that subject, when I stood
up for the pursuit of scientific knowledge as being
truly elevating and noble, while the pursuit of game
was, to say the least of it, a species of pleasure more
suited to the tastes and condition of the savage
than of the civilized man.


192 JACK 1s PHILOSOPHICAL
To this Peterkin replied—having made a prelim~
inary statement to the effect that I was a humbug—-—
that a man’s pluck was brought out and his nerves
improved by the noble art of hunting, which was
beautifully scientific in its details, and which had the
effect of causing a man to act like a man and look
like a man-not like a woman or a nincompoop, as
was too often the case with scientific men.
Hereupon Jack announced it as his opinion that
we were both wrong and both right, which elicited
a cry of “bravo!” from Peterkin, “for,” said Jack,
“what would the naturalist do without the hunter?
his museums would be almost empty and his know-
ledge would be extremely limited. On the other
hand, if there were no naturalists, the hunter,-——in-
stead of being the hero who dares every imaginable
species of danger, in order to procure specimens and
furnish information that will add to the sum of
human knowledge,-—-would degenerate into the mere
butcher who supplies himself and his men with meat,
or into the semi-murderer, who delights in shedding
the blood of inferior animals. The fact is, that the
naturalist and the hunter are indispensably necessary
to each other—‘both are best’ (to use an old expres-
sion), and when both are combined in one—as in the
case of the great American ornithologist, Audubon,
-—that is best of all.”


BUFFALO-BULL STALKING. 193
“ Betterer than both,” suggested Peterkin.
But, to return from this digression:-—
In less than quarter of an hour we gained a
position well to leeward of the buffalo, which grazed
quietly near the edge of the bushes, little dreaming
of the enemies who were so cautiously approaching
to work its destruction.
“ Keep well in rear of me, Ralph,” said Peterkin,
as we halted behind a bush to examine our rifles.
“I’ll creep as near to him as I can, and if, by any
chance I should not kill him at the first shot, do
you run up and hand me your gun.”
Without waiting for a reply, my companion threw
himself on his breast and began to creep over the
plain like a snake in the grass. He did this so well
and so patiently, that he reached to within forty
yards of the bull without being discovered. Then
he ceased to advance, and I saw his head and shoulders
slowly emerge from among the grass, and presently
his rifle appeared and was slowly levelled. It was
one of our large bore single-barrelled rifles.
He lay in this position for at least two minutes,
which seemed to me a quarter of an hour, so eager
was I to see the creature fall. Suddenly I heard a
sharp snap or crack. The hull heard it too, for it
raised its huge head with a start. The cap of Peter-
kin’s rifle had snapped, and I saw by his motions
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THE RESCUE. 195
Once again I experienced that strange and sudden
change of feeling to which I have before referred. I
felt a bounding sensation in my breast which tingled
to my finger—ends. At the same time my head be-
came clear and cool. I felt that Providence had
placed the life of my friend in my hands. Darting
forward in advance of the bush I awaited the charge
of the infuriated animal. On it came. I knew that
I was not a sufliciently good shot to make sure of
hitting it in the brain. I therefore allowed it to
come within a yard of me, and then sprang lightly
to one side. As it flew past, I never thought of
taking aim or putting the piece to my shoulder, but
I thrust the muzzle against its side and pulled both
triggers at once.
From that moment consciousness forsook me and
(I knew not what had occurred for some minutes
after. The first object that met my confused vision
when I again opened my eyes was Peterkin, who
was seated close beside me on the body of the dead
bufiixlo, examining some bloody scratches on the calf
of his left leg. He had evidently been attempting
to restore me to consciousness, for I observed that a
wet handkerchief lay on my forehead. He muttered
to himself as he examined his wounds,—
“This comes of not looking to one’s caps. Humph!
I do believe that every bone in my body is—ah!


196 ROUGH WORK.
here’s another out, two inches at least, and into the
bone of course, to judge from the flow of blood. I
wonder how much blood I can afford to lose without
being floored altogether. Such a country! I "wonder
how high I went. I felt as if I’d got above the
moon—hallo! Ralph, better '4”
I sat up as he said this, and looked at him
earnestly.
“ My dear Peterkin, then you’re_not killed after
all.”
“ Not quite, but pretty near. If it had not been
for that friendly bush I should have fared worse.
It broke my fall “ompletely, and I really believe that
my worst hurts are a few scratches. But how are
you, Ralph? Yours was a much more severe case
than mine. You should hold your gun tighter, man,
when you fire without putting it to your shoulder.”
“How? why? what do you mean?”
“Simply this, that in consequence of your reck-
less manner of holding your rifle, it came back with
such a slap on your chest that it floored you.”
“This, then, accounts for the pain I feel in it,
but come,” said I, rising and shaking my limbs to
make sure that no bones were broken, “we have
reason to be very thankful we have escaped so
easily. I made sure that you were killed when I
saw you flying through the air.”


ROUGH WORK. 197
“I always had a, species of cat-lyek about me,”
replied Peterkin with a, smile, “but now let us cut off
a. bit 0’ this fellow to take back with us for Jack’s
supper.”
With some difficulty we succeeded in cutting out
the bufl'alo’s tongue by the root, and carried it back
to the village, where, after displaying it as an evidence
of our prowess, we had it cooked for supper.
The slight hurts that we had received at the
time of this adventure were speedily cured, and
about two weeks after that we were all well enough
to resume our journey.


198 NEW STYLE 0F RIDING.
CHAPTER X.
WATER APPRECIATED—DESTRUCTIVE FLIES, ETC.
OUR first start from the village where we had been
entertained so hospitably and so long, was productive
of much amusement to ourselves and to the natives.
We had determined to accept of three oxen from
the chief, and to ride these when we felt fatigued,
but we thought it best to let our native porters carry
our baggage on their shoulders as they had hitherto
done.
When the animals were led up to our hut, we
could not refrain from laughing. They were three
sturdy-looking dark-skinned oxen, with Wicked-
looking black eyes and very long horns.
“Now, Jack, do you get up first,” said Peterkin,
“ and show us what we are to expect.”
“ Nay, lad, I am still entitled to be considered an
invalid, so you must get up first, and not only so,
but you must try them all, in order that I may be
enabled to select the quietest.”
“Upon my word, you are becoming despotic in
your sickness, and you forget that it is but a short
time since I came down from a journey to the sky,
and that my poor bones are still tender. But here


oxnmusmr. l 99
goes. I was born to be victimized, so I submit to
the decrees of Fate.”
Peterkin went up to one of the oxen and at-
tempted to mount it, but the animal made a demon-
stration of an intention to gore him, and obstinately
objected to this.
“Hold him tight, Mak,” he cried, after several
futile attempts to mount. “I was always good at
leap-frog when a school-boy—see if I don’t bring my
powers into play now.”
So saying he went behind the 0X, took a short
race, and sprung, with the agility of a monkey, over
its tail on to its back ! The ox began to kick and
sidle and plunge heavily on receiving this unexpected
load, but its rider held on well, until it took it into
its head to dart under a neighbouring tree, the lower
branches of which swept him off and caused him to
fall with a heavy plump to the ground
“I told you so,” he cried, rising with a rueful face,
and rubbing himself as he limped forward. How--
ever, his pain was more than half affected, for the
next minute he was on the hack of another OK.
This one also proved restive, but not so much so as
the first. The third was a very quiet animal, so
Jack appropriated it as his charger.
Having bade adieu to the chief, and rubbed noses
with him and with several of our friends in the


200 OXMANSHIP.
village, we all three got upon our novel steeds and
set forth. But we had not got away from the
village more than a mile when the two restive oxen
began to display a firm determination to get rid of
their intolerable burden. Mine commenced to back
and sidle, and Peterkin’s made occasional darts for-
ward, and then, stopping suddenly, refused to budge
a step. \Ve lost all patience at last, and belaboured
them soundly with twigs, the effect of which was to
make them advance rather slowly, and evidently
under protest.
“ Look out for branches,” cried Peterkin, as we
came up to a narrow belt of wood.
I had scarcely time to raise my head when I was
swept off my seat and hurled to the ground by
a large branch. Peterkin’s attention was drawn to
me, and his ox, as if aware of the fact, seized the
opportunity to swerve violently to one side, thereby
throwing its rider ofi'. Both animals gave a bellow,
as if of triumph, erected their tails, and ran away.
They were soon recaptured, however, by our negroes,
and, mounting once more, we belaboured them well
and continued our journey. In course of time
they became more reconciled to their duties, but I
cannot say that I ever came to enjoy such riding,
and all of us ultimately agreed that it was a'most
undesirable thing to journey on ox-back.


WANT or WATER. 201
Thus we commenced our journey over this desert,
or plain, of Africa, and at the end of many weeks,
found ourselves approaching that part of the coun-
try near the equator in which the gorilla is said
to dwell. On the way we had many adventures—
some of an amusing, some of a dangerous character,
and I made many additions to my collection of
animals, besides making a number of valuable and
interesting notes in my journal; but all this I
am constrained to pass over, in order to introduce my
reader to those regions in which some of our most
wonderful adventures occurred.
One or two things, however, I must not omit to
mention.
In passing over the desert we suffered much from
want of water. Frequently the poor oxen had to
travel two or three days without tasting a drop,
and their distress was so great that we, more
than once, thought of turning them adrift at the
first good watering place we should come to, and
proceed, as formerly, on foot, for we had all re—
covered our wonted vigour and were quite capable
of standing the fatigues of the journey as well as our
men. But several times we had found the country
destitute of game, and were reduced to the point of
starvation, so we continued to keep the oxen, lest we
should require them for food.


202 WANT or WATER.
On one occasion we were wending our way slowly
along the bed of what, in the rainy season, would
become a large river, but which was now so thoroughly
dry that we could not find even a small pool in
which the oxen might slake their thirst. They had
been several days absolutely without a drop of water,
while we were reduced to a mouthful or two per man
in the day. As we could not exist much longer
Without the life-giving fluid, Jack dismounted, and,
placing the load of one of the men on the ox’s back,
sent him off in advance to look for water. \Ve had
that morning seen the footprints of several animals,
which are so fond of water that they are never
found at any great distance from some spot where it
may be found. We, therefore, felt certain of falling
in with it ere long.
About two hours afterwards our negro returned,
saying that he had discovered a pool of rain-water,
and showing the marks of 'mud on his knees in con-
firmation of the truth of what he said. '
“Ask him if there’s much of it, Mak,” said Jack,
as we crowded eagerly round the man.
“ Hims say there be great plenty ob it. ’Nufl' to
tumble in.”
Gladdened by this news we hastened forward.
The oxen seemed to have scented the water from
afar, for they gradually became more animated, and


“ WATER ! WATER l” 203
quickened their pace of their own accord, until they
at last broke into a run. Peterkin and I soon out-
stripped our party, and quite enjoyed the gallop.
“There it is,” cried my comrade joyfully, pointing
to a gleaming pond in a hollow of the plain not two
hundred yards off.
“ Hurrah 1” I shouted, unable to repress my delight
at the sight.
The oxen rushed madly forward, and we found
that they were away with us. No pulling at our
rope-bridles had any effect on them. My companion
foreseeing what would happen, leaped nimbly off just
as he reached the margin of the pond. I being un-
able to collect my thoughts for the emergency, held
on. My steed rushed into the water up to the neck,
and, stumbling as he did so, threw me into the
middle of the pond, out of which I scrambled amidst
. the laughter of the whole party, who came up
almost as soon as the oxen, so eager were they to
drink.
After appeasing our own thirst we stood looking
at the oxen, and it really did our hearts good to see
the poor thirsty creatures enjoy themselves so
thoroughly. They stood sucking in the water as if
they meant to drink up the whole pond, half shutting
their eyes, which became mild and amiable in appear-
ance under the influence of extreme satisfaction.


204 HARD DRINKERS.
Their sides, which had been for the last two days in
a state of collapse, began to swell, and, at last, were
distended to such an extent that they seemed as if
ready to burst. In point of fact the creatures were
actually as full as they could hold, and when at
length they dragged themselves slowly, almost un_
willingly, out of the pool, any sudden jerk or motion
caused some of the water to run out of their mouths!
Some time after that we were compelled to part
with our poor steeds in consequence of their being
bitten by an insect which caused their death.
This destructive fly which is called tsetse, is a
perfect scourge in some parts of Africa. Its bite is
fatal to the horse, ox, and dog, yet, strange to say, it
is not so to man or to wild animals. It is not much
larger than the common house-fly, .and sucks the
blood in the same manner as the mosquito, by means
of a proboscis with which it punctures the skin.
When man is bitten by it, no more serious evil than
slight itching of the part follows. When the ex is
bitten no serious efi‘ect follows at first, but a few days
afterwards a running takes place at the eyes and
nose, swellings appear under the jaw and on other
parts of the body, emaciation quickly follows, even
although the animal may continue to graze, and
after a long illness, sometimes of many weeks, it
dies in a state of extreme exhaustion.


DESTRUCTIVE FLIES. 205
The tsetse inhabits certain localities in great
numbers, while other places in the immediate neigh-
bourhood are entirely free 3 those natives, therefore,
who have herds of cattle avoid the dangerous regions
most carefully, yet, despite their utmost care, they
sometimes come unexpectedly 0n the habitat of this
poisonous fly, and lose the greater part of their cattle.
When our poor oxen were bitten, and the fatal
symptoms began to appear, we knew that their fate
was sealed, so we conducted them into a pleasant
valley on which we chanced to alight, where there
was plenty of grass and water, and there we left
them to die.
Another incident occurred to us in this part of our
journey, which _is worthy of record.
One day Peterkin and I had started before our
party with our rifles, and had gone a considerable
distance in advance of them, when we unexpectedly
came upon a band of natives who was travelling in
an opposite direction. Before coming up with their
main body, we met with one of their warriors who
came upon us suddenly in the midst of a wooded
spot, and stood rooted to the earth with fear and.
amazement, at which, indeed, we were not much sur-
prised, for as he had probably never seen white faces
before, he must have naturally taken us for ghosts or
phantoms of some sort.


206 unnxrnornn MEETING.
He was armed with shield and spear, but his
frame was paralyzed with terror. He seemed to
have no power to use his weapons. At first we
also stood in silent wonder, and returned his stare
with interest, but, after a few seconds, the comicality
of the man’s appearance tickled Peterkin so much
that he‘ burst into a fit of laughter, which had the
effect of increasing the terror of the black warrior to
such a degree that his teeth began to chatter in his
head. He actually grew livid in the face. I never
beheld a- more ghastly countenance.
“ I say, Ralph,” observed my companion after
recovering his composure, “we must try to show
this fellow that we don’t mean him any harm, else
he’ll die of sheer fright.”
Before I could reply, or any steps could be taken
towards this end, his party came up, and we suddenly
found ourselves face to face with at least a hundred
men, all of whom were armed with spears or bows
and arrows. Behind them came a large troop of
women and children. They were all nearly naked,
and I observed that they were blacker in the skin
than most of the negroes we had yet met with.
“ Here’s a pretty mess,” said Peterkin, looking at
me.
“ What is to be done?” said I,
“ If we were to fire at them, I’d lay a bet they’d


208 rmcn DECLABED.
,folly in advising Peter-kin to fire over their heads,
but happily, before blood was drawn on either side,
Makarooroo and Jack came running towards us.
The former shouted an explanation of who and what
we were to our late enemies, and in less than ten
minutes we were mingling together in the most
amicable manner.
We found that these poor creatures were starving,
having failed to procure any provisions for some time
past, and they were then on their way to another
region in search of game. We gave them as much
of our provisions as we could spare, besides a little
tobacco which afforded them inexpressible delight.
Then, rubbing noses with the chief, we parted and
went on our respective ways.


HOPES. 209
CHAPTER XI.
now WE MET wrrn oua rms'r GORILLA, AND now we
snavnn HIM.
“ IT never rains but it pours,” is a true proverb. I
have often noticed, in the course of my observations
on sublunary affairs, that events seldom come singly.
I have often gone out fishing for trout in the rivers
of my native land, day after day, and caught nothing,
while at other times I have, day after day, returned
home with my basket full.
As it was in England so I found it in Africa. For
many days after our arrival in the gorilla country,
we wandered about without seeing a single creature
of any kind. Lions, we ascertained, were never found
in those regions, and we were told that this was in
consequence of their having been beaten off the field
by gorillas. But at last, after we had all, severally
and collectively, given way to despair, we came upon
the tracks of a gorilla, and from that hour we were
kept constantly on the gut mlve, and, in the course
of the few weeks we spent in that part of the country,
we “bagged,” as Peterkin expressed it, “no end of
gorillas ”-—great and small, young and old.
I will never forget the powerful sensations of
excitement and anxiety that filled our breasts when
14


210 THE FOOTPRINT.
we came. on the first gorilla footprint. We felt as,
no doubt, Robinson Crusoe did when he discovered
the footprint of a savage in the sand. Here at last
was the indubitable evidence of the existence and
presence ofIthe terrible animal we had come so far to
see. Here was the footstep of that creature about
which we had heard so many wonderful stories, whose
existence the civilized world had, up to within a very
short time back, doubted exceedingly, and in regard
to which, even now, we knew comparatively very
little.
Makarooroo assured us that he had hunted this
animal some years ago, and had seen one or two at
a distance, though he had never killed one, and stated
most emphatically that the footprint before us,
which happened to be in a soft sandy spot, was un-
doubtedly caused by the foot of a gorilla.
Being satisfied on this head we four sat down in
a circle round the footprint to examine it, while our
men stood round about us, looking on with deep
interest expressed in their dark faces.
“ At last!” said I, carefully brushing away some
twigs that partly covered the impression.
“ Ay, at last!” echoed Jack, while his eyes
sparkled with enthusiasm.
“ Ay,” observed Peterkin, “ and a pretty big last
he must require, too. I shouldn’t like to be his shoe-


THE roorrmx'r 211
maker. What a thumb, or a toe! one doesn’t know
very well which to call it!”
“ I wonder if it’s old? ” said I.
“As old as the hills,” replied Peterkin, “at least
so I would judge from its size.” 1
“ You mistake me. I mean that I wonder
whether the footprint is old, or if it has been made
recently.”
“ Him’s quite n00,” interposed our guide.
“How d’ye know, Mak?”
“ Cause me see.”
“Ay, but what do you see that enables you to
form such an opinion?” i
" 0 Ralph, how can you expect a nigger to
understand such a sentence as that?” said Jack, as he
turned to Mak and added, " What do you see?”
“Me see one leetle stick brok in middel. If you
look to him you see him white and clean. If
hims was old hims would be mark wid rain and
dirt.”
“ There,” cried Peterkin, giving me poke in the
side, “ see what it is to be a minute student of the
small things in nature. Make a note of it, Ralph.”
I did make a note of it, mentally, on the spot,
and then proposed that we should go in search of the
gorilla without further delay.
We were in the midst of a dark gloomy wood in


212 THE CHASE.
the neighbourhood of a range of mountains whose
blue serrated peaks rose up into the clouds. Their
sides were partly clothed with wood. We were tra-
velling—not hunting—at the time we fell in with the
track above referred to, so we immediately ordered the
men to encamp where they were, while we should go
after the gorilla, accompanied only by Mak, whose
nerves we could depend on.
Shouldering our trusty rifles and buckling tight
the belts of our heavy hunting knives we sallied
forth after the manner of American Indians, in single
file, keeping, as may well be supposed, a sharp look
out as we went along. The fact was that long delay,
frequent disappointment, and now the near prospect
of success, conspired together to fill' us with a species
of nervous excitement that caused us to start at every
sound.
The woods here were pretty thick, but they varied
in their character so frequently that we were at one
time pushing slowly among dense, almost impenetrable
underwood, at another, walking briskly over small
plains which were covered in many places with large
boulders. It was altogether a gloomy, savage-looking
country, and seemed to me well suited to be the
home of so dreadful an animal. There were few
animals to be seen here. Even birds were scarce,
and afew chattering monkeys were almost the only


THE cease. 21 3
creatures that broke the monotonous silence and soli-
tude around us. _
“What a dismal place!” said Peterkin in a low
tone “I feel as if we had got to the fag end of the
world, as if we were about plunging into ancient
chaos.”
“It is, indeed,” I replied, “a most dreary region.
I think that the gorillas will not be disturbed by
many hunters with white faces.”
“There’s no saying,” interposed Jack. “I should
not wonder, now, if you, Ralph, were to go home
and write a book detailing our adventures in these
parts, that at least half the sportsmen of England
would be in Africa next year, and the race of gorillas
would probably become extinct.”
“ If the sportsmen don’t come out until I write a
book about them, I fear the gorillas will remain un-
disturbed for all time to come.”
At that time, reader, I was not aware of the
extreme difficulty that travellers experience in resist-
ing the urgent entreaties of admiring and too partial
friends!
Presently we came to a part of the forest where
the underwood became so dense that we could scarcely
make our way through it at all, and here we began
for the first time to have some clearer conception of
the immense power of the creature we were in pursuit


2 1 4 MYSTERIOUS scum).
of, for, in order to clear its way, it had torn down
great branches of the trees, and in one or two places
had seized young trees as thick as a man’s arm, and
snapt them in two as one would snap a walking
cane.
Following the track with the utmost care for
several miles we at length came to a place where
several huge rocks lay among the trees. Here, while
we were walking along in silence, Makarooroo made
a peculiar noise with his tongue, which we knew
meant that he had discovered something worthy of
special attention, so we came to an abrupt pause and
looked at him.
“What is it, Mak?” inquired Jack.
Theguide put his finger on his mouth to impose
silence, and stood in a listening attitude with his eyes
cast upon the ground, his nostrils distended, and every
muscle of his dusky frame rigid as if he were a statue
of black marble. We also listened attentively, and
presently heard a sound as of the breaking of twigs
and branches.
“ Dat am he gorilla,” said the guide in a low
whisper.
We exchanged looks of eager satisfaction.
“How shall we proceed, Mak?” inquired Jack.
“We mus’ go bery slow, dis way,” said the guide,
imitating the process of walking with extreme caution.


THE ANXIOUS MOMENT. 215
“No break leetle stick. If you break leetle stick
hims go right away.”
Promising Mak that we would attend to his
injunctions most carefully, we desired him to lead the
way, and in a few minutes after came so near to
where the sound of breaking sticks was going on that
we all halted, fearing that we should scare the animal
away before we could get a sight of it amongst the
dense underwood.
“ What can he be doing?” said I to the guide, as
we stood looking at each other for a few seconds
uncertain how to act.
“Him’s breakin’ down branches for git at him’s
food, ’spose.”
“Do you see that?” whispered Peterkin as he
pointed to an open space among the bushes. “ Isn’t
that a bit 0’ the hairy brute?”
“It looks like it,” replied Jack eagerly,
“ Cluck l” ejaculated Makarooroo, making a peculiar
noise with his tongue. “ Dat him. Blaze away!”
“ But it may not be a mortal part,” objected
Peterkin. “ He might escape if only wounded.”
“ Nebber fear. Hims come at us if hims be wound.
Only we mus’ be ready for him.”
“ All ready,” said Jack, cocking both barrels of his
rifle, “now, Peterkin, a good aim. If he comes here
he shall get a quietus.”


216 THE FIRST sno'r.
All this was said in the lowest possible whispers.
Peterkin took a steady aim at the part of the creature
that was visible, and fired.
I have gone through many wild adventures since
then. I have heard the roar of the lion and the tiger
in all circumstances, and the laugh of the hyeena,
besides many other hideous sounds, but I never in
all my life listened to anything that in any degree
approached in thundering ferocity the appalling roar
that burst upon our ears immediately after that shot
was fired. I can compare it to nothing, for nothing
I ever heard was like it. If the reader can conceive
a human fiend endued with a voice far louder than
that of the lion, yet retaining a little of the intonation
both of the man’s voice and of what we should
suppose a fiend’s voice to be, he may form some
slight idea of What that roar was. It is impossible
to describe it. Perhaps Mak’s expression in regard
to it is the most emphatic and truthful, it was
absolutely “ho'r'r'iboble I” Every one has heard asturdy
well-grown little boy when being thrashed, howling
at the very top of his bent. If one can conceive of
a full grown male giant twenty feet high pouring
forth his whole soul and voice with similarly unre-
strained fervour, he may approximate to a notion
of it.
And it was not uttered once or twice, but again


GORILLA HUNT. 217
and again until the whole woods trembled with it,
and we felt as if our ears could not endure more of
it without the tympanums being burst.
For several moments we stood motionless with our
gunsready, expecting an immediate attack, and gazing
with awe, not unmingled—at least on my part—with
fear, at the turmoil of leaves and twigs and broken
branches that was going on round the spot Where the
monster had been wounded.
“ Come,” cried Jack at length, losing patience and
springing forward, “if he won’t attack us we must
attack him.”
We followed close on his heels, and next moment
emerged upon a small and comparatively open space,
in the midst of which we found the gorilla seated on
the ground, tearing up the earth with its hands,
grinning horribly and beating its chest, which sent
forth a loud hollow sound as if it were a. large drum.
We saw at once that both its thighs had been broken
by Peterkin’s shot.
Of all the hideous creatures I had ever seen or
heard of, none came up in the least degree to this.
Apart altogether from its gigantic size, this monster
was calculated to strike terror into the hearts of
beholders simply by the expression of its visage, which
was quite satanic. I could scarcely persuade myself
that I was awake! It seemed as if I were gazing


218 GORILLA HUNT.
on one of those hideous creatures one beholds when
oppressed with night-mare!
But we had little time to indulge in contemplation,
for, the instant the brute beheld us, it renewed its
terrible roar and attempted to spring up, but both its
legs at once gave way, and it fell with a passionate
growl, biting the earth and twisting and tearing
bunches of twigs and leaves in its fury. Suddenly
it rushed upon us rapidly by means of its fore legs
or arms.
“Look out, Jack 1” we cried in alarm.
Jack stood like a rock and deliberately levelled
his rifle. Even at this moment of intense excitement
I could not help marvelling at the diminutive
appearance of my friend when contrasted with the
gorilla. In height, indeed, he was of course superior,
and would have been so had the gorilla been able to
stand erect, but his breadth of shoulder and chest,
and his length and size of arm were strikingly inferior.
Just as the monster approached to within three yards
of him, Jack sent a ball into its chest, and the
king of the African woods fell dead at our feet!
It is impossible to convey in words an idea of the
gush of mingled feelings that filled our breasts as we
stood beside and gazed at the huge carcase of our
victim. Pity at first predominated in my heart, then
I felt like an accomplice to a murder, and then an


GORILLA HUNT. 219
exulting sensation of joy at having obtained a speci-
men of one of the rarest animals in the world over-
whelmed every other feeling.
The size of this animal,—-—and we measured him
very carefully—was as follows :-—
Height, 5 feet 6 inches; girth of the chest, 41 feet
2 inches; spread of its arms, 7 feet 2 inches. Perhaps
the most extroardinary measurement was that of the
great thumb of its hind foot which was 5% inches in
circumference. When I looked at this and at the
great bunches of hard muscles which composed its
brawny chest and arms I could almost believe in the
stories, told by the natives, of the tremendous feats
of strength performed by the gorilla. The body of
this brute was covered with grey hair, but the chest
was bare and covered with tough skin, and its face
was intensely black. I shuddered as I looked upon
it, for there was something terribly human-like about
it, despite the brutishness of its aspect.
“Now I’ll tell you what we shall do,” said Jack,
after we had completed our examination of the gorilla.
“ We will encamp where we are for the night, and
send Makarooroo back to bring our fellows up with
the packs, so that you, Ralph, will be able to begin
the work of skinning and cleaning the bones at once.
What say you?” .
“ Agreed, with all my heart,” I replied.


220 PREPARING A “ SPECIMEN."
“ Well, then,” observed Peterkin, “here goes for a
fire, to begin with, and then for victuals to continue
with. By the way, what say you to a gorilla
steak? I’m told the niggers eat him. Don’t they,
Mak?”
“Yis, massa, dey doos. More dan dat, de niggers
in dis part ob country eat mans.”
“Eat mans!” echoed Peterkin in horror.
“ Yis, eat mans, and womins, an’ childerdens.”
“ Oh, the brutesl But I don’t believe you, Mak.
What are the villains called?”
“ Well, it not be easy for say what dem be called.
Miss’naries calls dem canibobbles.”
“Ho!” shouted Peterkin, “canibobbles? eh! well
done. Mak, I must get you to write a new dictionary.
I think it would pay!”
“ It won’t pay to go on talking like this though,”
observed Jack. “ Come, hand me the axe. I’ll fell
this tree while you strike a light, Peterkin. Be off
with you, Mak. As for Ralph, we must leave him
to his note—book, I see there is no chance of getting
him away from his beloved gorilla. till he has torn its
skin from its flesh, and its flesh from its bones.”
Jack was right. I had now several long hours’
work before me, which I knew could not be delayed,
and to which I applied myself forthwith most eagerly,
while my comrades lit the fire and prepared the


PREPARING A “SPECIMEN.” 221
camp, and Makarooroo set off on his return journey
to bring up the remainder of our party.
That night, while I sat by the light of the camp
fire toiling at my task, long after the others had
retired to rest, I observed the features of Jack and
Peterkin working convulsively, andtheirhands clutch-
ing nervously as they slept, and I smiled to think
of the battles with gorillas which I felt assured they
must be fighting, and the enormous “bags” they
would be certain to tell of, on returning from the
realms of dream-land to the regions of reality.


222 MORE TRACES FOUND. ’
CHAPTER XII.
PETERKIN’S SCHOOL-DAY REMINISCENCES.
THE day following that on which we shot our first
gorilla, was a great and memorable day in our hunt-
ing career in Africa, for on that day we saw no fewer
than ten gorillas. 'l‘wo females, seven young ones
-—one of which was a mere baby gorilla in its
mother’s arms—and a huge lone male, or bachelor
gorilla, as Peterkin called him. And of these we
killed four—three young ones, and the old bachelor.
I am happy to add that I saved the lives of the
infant gorilla and its mother, as I shall presently
relate.
The portion of country through which we tra_
velled this day was not so thickly wooded as that
through which we had passed the day before, so that
we advanced more easily, and enjoyed ourselves much
as we went along. About the middle of the day
we came to a spot where there were a number of
wild vines, the leaves of which are much liked
by the gorilla, so we kept a sharp look out for
tracks. '
Soon we came upon several, as well as broken
branches and twigs, in which were observed the


nrsru'rarrox. 223
marks of teeth, showing that our game had'heen
there. But we passed from the wood where these
signs were discovered, out upon an open plain of con-
siderable extent. Here we paused, undecided as to
whether we should proceed onward, or remain there
to hunt.
“ I vote for advancing,” said Peterkin, “for I
observe that on the other side of this plain the wood
seems very dense, and it is probable that we may
find Mister Gorilla there. What think you, Mak 2”
The guide nodded in reply.
“ I move,” said Jack, “that as the country just
where we stand is well watered by this little brook,
besides being picturesque and beautiful to look upon,
we should encamp where we are, and leaving our
men to guard the camp, cross this plain—we three
——take Mak along with us, and spend the remainder
of the day in hunting.”
“ I vote for the amendment,” said I.
“ Then the amendment carries,” cried Jack, “for
in all civilized societies most votes always carry;
and although we happen to be in an uncivilized
region of the earth, we must not forget that we are
civilized hunters. The vote of two hunters ought
certainly to override that of one hunter.”
Peterkin demurred to this at once, on the ground
that it was unfair.


224 DISPUTA'I‘ION.
“ How so? ” said I.
“ In the first place,” replied be, looking uncom-
monly wise, and placing the point of his right finger
in the palm of his left hand ; “in the first place, I
do not admit your premises, and therefore I object
to your conclusion. I do not admit that in civilized
societies most votes carry—on the contrary, it too
frequently happens that, in civilized societies, motions
are made, seconded, discussed, and carried, without
being put to the vote at all; often they are carried
~ without being made, seconded, or discussed ; as when
a bottle-nosed old gentleman in office chooses to
ignore the rights of men, and carry everything his
own way. Neither do I admit that we three are
civilized hunters ; for although it is true that I am,
it is well known that you, Ralph, are a philosopher,
and Jack is a gorilla. Therefore I object to your
conclusion that your two votes should carry, for you
cannot but admit that the vote of one hunter ought
to override that of two such creatures, which would
not be the case were there an equality existing be-
tween us.”
“ Peterkin,” said I, “ there is fallacy in your rea-
soning.”
“ Can you show it ’2 ” said he.
“ No, the web is too much ravelled to disen-
tangle.”


DISPUTATION. ‘ 225
“Not at all,” cried Jack ; “ I can unravel it in a
minute, and settle the whole question by proving
that there does exist an equality between us ; for it
is well known, and generally admitted by all his
friends, and must be acknowledged by himself, that
Peterkin is an ass.”
“ Even admitting that,” rejoined Peterkin, “it still
remains to be proved that a philosopher, a gorilla,
and an ass are equal. Of course I believe the latter
to be superior to both the former animals; but in
consideration of the lateness of the hour, and the
able manner in which you have discussed this subject,
I beg to withdraw my motion, and to state that I
am ready to accompany you over the plain as soon
as you please.”
At this point our conversation was interrupted by
the shriek of a small monkey, which had been sitting
all the time among the branches of the tree bezeath
which we stood.
“ I declare it has been listening to us,” cried
Peterkin.
“ Yes, and is shouting in triumph at your defeat,”
added Jack.
As he spoke Makarooroo fired, and the monkey
fell to the ground almost at our feet.
“ Alas I it has paid a heavy price for its laugh,”
said Peterkin, in a tone of sadness.
15


226 ' A MONKEY sum.
The poor thing was mortally wounded ; so much
so, that it could not even cry. It looked up with a
very piteous expression in our faces. Placing its
hand on its side, it coughed once or twice, then,
lying down on its back, and stretching itself out
quite straight, it closed its eyes and died.
I never could bear to shoot monkeys. There was
something so terribly human-like in their sufferings,
that I never could witness the death of one without
feeling an almost irresistible inclination to weep.
Sometimes, when short of provisions, I was compelled
to shoot monkeys, but I did so as seldom as possible,
and once I resolved to go supperless to bed rather
than shoot one whose aspect was so sad and gentle,
that I had not the heart to kill it. My companions
felt as I did in this matter, and we endeavoured to
restrain Makarooroo as much as possible, but he
could not understand our feelings, and when he got
a chance of a. shot, almost invariably forgot our in-
junctions to let monkeys alone unless we were abso-
lutely ill off for food. To do him justice, however,
I must add that we were at this particular time not
overburdened with provisions, and the men were
much pleased to have the prospect of a roast monkey
for supper.
Having given our men a little tobacco, a gift
which caused their black faces to beam with delight,


BEAUTIFUL SCENERY. 227
we shouldered our rifles and set off across the plain
towards the thick wood, which was not more than
five miles distant—if so much.
It was a beautiful scene—this plain with its
clumps of trees scattered over it like islands in a
lake, and its profusion of wild flowers. The weather,
too, was delightful; cooler than usual, and there was
a freshness in the air which caused us to feel light
of heart, while the comparative shortness of the grass
enabled us to proceed on our way with light steps.
As we walked along for some time in silence, I '
thought upon the goodness and the provident care of
the Creator of our world, for during my brief sojourn
in Africa I had observed many instances of the won-
derful exactness with which things in nature were
suited to the circumstances in which they were placed,
and the bountiful provision that was made everywhere
for man and beast. Yet I must confess I could not
help wondering, and felt very much perplexed, when
I thought of the beautiful scenes in the midst of
which I moved, being inhabited only by savage men,
who seemed scarcely to appreciate the blessings by
which they were surrounded, and who violated con-
stantly all the laws of Him by whom they were cre-
ated. My meditations were interrupted by Jack
saying,—
“ I cannot help wondering why that poor monkey


228 OPINION ON BOYS.
kept so still all the time we were talking. One
would think that it should have been frightened
away just as we came under the tree."
"' I have no doubt,” said I, “ that although of
course it could not understand what we said, yet it
was listening to us.”
“ I’m not so certain that it did not understand,”
observed Peterkin. “ You know that sailors believe
that monkeys could speak if they chose, but they
don’t for fear that they should be made to work l”
“ Well, whatever truth there may be in that, of
this I am certain, they are the most deceptive
creatures that exist.”
“ I don’t agree with you,” rejoined Peterkin. “It’s
my opinion that little boys are the greatest deceivers
living.” . '
“ \Vhat l all little boys? ” exclaimed Jack.
“ No—not all. I have not so had an opinion of
the race as that. I’ve had a good deal to do with
boys during my naval career, and among the middies
of Her Majesty’s navy I have met with as fine little
chaps as one would wish to see,—regular bricks,
afraid of nothing (except of doing anything that '
would be thought sneaking or shabby), ready to dare
anything—to attack a seventy-four single-handed in
a punt or a bumboat if need be; nevertheless, I’ve
met boys, and a good many of them too, who would


PETERKIN'S sromr. 229
beat all the monkeys in Africa at sneaking and de—
ceiving. I remember one rascal, who went to the
same school with me, who was a wonderfully plau-
sible deceiver. I can’t help laughing yet when I
think of the curious way he took to free himself of
the restraint of school.
“How was it i ” cried Jack ; “ tell us about it—
do.”
“ Well, you must know,” began Peterkin, “that
this boy was what Jack tars would call a great,
stupid lubberly fellow.’ He was a very fair-haired,
white eye-lashed sort of chap, that seemed to grow
at such a rate that he was always too big for his
clothes, and showed an unusual amount of wrist and
ankle even for a boy. Most people who met him
thought him a very stupid boy at first; but those
who came to know him Well found that he was rather
a sharp clever fellow, but a remarkably sly dog.
We called him Doddle.
His mother was a widow, and he was an only son,
and had been spoiled, of course, so that he was not
put to school till he was nearly twelve years of age.
He had been at several schools before coming to ours,
but had been deemed by each successive schoolmaster
a hopeless imbecile. And he was so mischievous
that they advised his poor mother to take him away
and try if she could not instil a little knowledge into


230 PETERKIN’S STORY.
him herself. The old lady was a meek, simple body,
and quite as stupid as her hopeful son appeared to be.
Hearing that our master was a sharp fellow, and
somewhat noted as a. good manager of obstreperous
boys, she brought him to our school as a last resource,
and, having introduced him to the master, wentherway.
“ It was near the end of play hour when she
brought him, so he was turned out into the play-
ground, and stood there looking like a mongrel cur
turned unexpectedly into a kennel of pointers.
“ ‘ Well, Doddle,’ said one of the sixth form boys,
going up to him and addressing him for the first time
by the name which stuck to him ever after, ‘ where
did you, grow; and who cut you down and tossed
you in here ? ’
“ ‘ Eh ’Z ’ said Doddle, looking sheepish.
" ‘ What’s your name, man, and where did you
come from, and how old are you, and how far can
you jump without a race? and in fact I want to know
all about you.’
“ ‘ My name’s Tommy Thompson,’ replied the boy,
‘and I —’
“ At that moment the bell rang, and the remainder
of his sentence was drowned in the rush of the rest
of us to the class room.
“When all was quiet, the master called Doddle
up, and said, ‘ Well, Thompson, my boy, your mother


PETERKIN’S STORY. 231
tells me you have learned a little grammar and a
little arithmetic. I hope that we shall instil into
you a good deal of those branches of learning, and of
many others besides, ere long. Let me hear what
you can do —’
“ ‘ I can play hockey and dumps,’ began Doddle,
in a sing-song tone, and with the most uncommonly
innocent expression of visage; ‘ an’ I can —-”
“ ‘ Stay, boy,’ interrupted the master, smiling, ‘ I
do not Want to know what you can play at. Keep
silence until I put a few questions to you. ‘What
is English grammar 2’
“ ‘ Eh ?’
“ ‘Don’t say “ eh 1” When you fail to understand
me, say “sir?” interrogatively. What is English
grammar 2 ’
“ ‘ It’s a book.’
“ The master looked over the top of his spectacles
at Doddle in surprise.
“ ‘English grammar,’ said he, slowly, and with a
slight touch of sternness, ‘is indeed contained in a
book ; but I wish to know what it teaches.’
“ ‘ Eh 'l—a—I mean sir interrogatively.’
“ ‘ What does English grammar teach, boy 'I’ cried
the master angrily.
“ Doddle laid hold of his chin with his right hand,
and looked down at the floor with an air of profound


232 Pursnxm’s s'ronr.
thought, saying slowly in an under tone to himself,
‘ What—-does—English—grammar-—teach—teach
—grammar-—teach. It—teaches—a—I don’t know
what it teaches. Perhaps you can tell me, sir i ’
“ He looked up and uttered the last sentence with
such an air of blank humility, that we all had to
cram our pocket handkerchiefs into our mouths to
prevent a universal explosion. The master looked
over his spectacles again at Doddle with an expres-
sion of unutterable amazement. We looked on with
breathless interest, not unmingled with awe, for we
expected some awful outbreak on the part of the
master, who seemed quite unable to make up his
mind what to do or say, but continued to stare for
nearly a minute at the boy, who replied to the stare
with a humble idiotic smile.
“Suddenly the master said, sharply, ‘how much
are seven times nine 7’
“‘Five hundred and forty-two and a half,’ an-
swered Doddle, without a moment’s hesitation.
“ The master did not look surprised this time, but
he took Doddle by the shoulder, and drawing him
towards his chair, looked earnestly into his face.
Then he said quietly, ‘That will do, Thompson, go
to your seat.’
“ This was all that occurred at that time. During
a whole week the master tried by every means to


PETERKIN’S STORY. 233
get Doddle to learn something; but Doddle could
learn nothing. Yet he seemed to try. He pored
over his book, and muttered with his lips, and
sometimes looked anxiously up at the ceiling, with
an expression of agony on his face that seemed to
indicate a tremendous mental effort. Every species
of inducement was tried; and occasionally punish-
ment was resorted to. He was kept in at play-
hours, and put in a corner during school-hours ; and
once, the master having lost patience with him, he
was flogged. But it was all one to Doddle. All
the methods tried proved utterly unavailing. He
could not be got to acquire a single lesson, and often
gave such remarkable answers that we all believed
him to be mad.
“On the Monday forenoon of his second week at
the school, the master called him up again for ex-
amination.
“‘Now, Thompson,’ he began, ‘you have been a
long time over that lesson ; let us see how much of
it you have learned. What is etymology?’
“ ‘Etymology,’ answered Doddle, ‘is—is—an
irregular pronoun.’
“ ‘ Boy !’ cried the master sternly.
“ ‘ Please, sir,’ pleaded Doddle, with deprecatory air,
‘I—I suppose I was thinkin’ 0’ one o’ the other
mologies,——not the etty one.’


234 PETERKIN’S s'roav.
“ ‘Hah 1’ ejaculated the master, ‘well; tell me,
how many parts of speeech are there ?’
“ ‘ Nineteen,’ answered the boy, quite confidently.
“ ‘Ohl’ exclaimed the master, with a good deal
of'sarcasm in his tone, ‘ pray name them.’
“In a very sing-song voice, and with an air of
anxious simplicity, Doddle began, ‘Article, noun,
adjective, pronoun, verb, adverb, preposition, con-
junction, interjection, outerjection, beginning with
i-e-s in the plural; as, baby, babies; lady, ladies;
hady, hadies-—please, sir, isn’t that last one a bad
word ? ’
“ ‘ The boy is a lunatic l’ muttered the master.
“The boys in the class were far past laughing
now ; we were absolutely stunned. The master
seemed perplexed, for Doddle was gazing at him
with a look of mild self-satisfaction.
“ ‘ I say, Peterkin,’ whispered the boy next to me,
‘as sure as you’re alive that boys shamming stupid.’
“ Presently the master, who had been turning
over the leaves of the grammar in a way that showed
he was not conscious of what he was about, looked
up, and said abruptly, ‘ What is a proper noun 2’
“ ‘A well-behaved one,’ replied Doddle.
“At this the whole school tittered violently.
“ ‘ Silence, boys,’ cried the master, in a tone that
produced the desired effect so thoroughly, that you


PETERKIN’S STORY. 235
might have heard a pin drop. Then laying his
hand on Doddle’s shoulder, he looked him full in the
face, and said solemnly, ‘Thompson, I have found
you out. Go, sir, to your seat, and remain behind
when the other boys go to the play-ground.’
“ We observed that Doddle grew very red in the
face as he came back to his seat, and during the rest
of the hour he never once looked up.
“During the whole of the play-hour the master
and he remained shut up together in the school-
room. We never discovered what took place there
between them, for neither threats nor coaxing could
induce Doddle afterwards to speak on the subject;
but from that day forward he was a changed boy.
He not only learned his lessons, but he learned them
well, and in the course of time became one of the
pest scholars in the school; so that, although he
never would admit it, we all came to the conclusion
he had been shamming stupid,—attempting to
deceive the master into the belief that he was in-
curable, and thus manage to get rid of lessons and
school altogether.”
“A most remarkable boy,” observed Jack when
Peterkin concluded. “Certainly he beat the mon-
keys hollow.”
“ I wonder," said I, “what the master said or did
to him that wrought such a mighty change."


236 PErstin’s s'roav.
“Don’t know,” replied Peterkin, “ I suppose he
told him that now he had found him out, he would
flay him alive if he didn’t give in, or something of
that sort.”
We had now entered the dark forest that edged
the plain over which we had been walking, and
further conversation on this subject was stopped, and
the subject itself banished utterly from our minds,
by the loud, startling cry of a gorilla at no great
distance from us.
“Hist! that’s him,” whispered Peterkin.
Instantly throwing our rifles into a position of
readiness, we pushed rapidly through the underwood
in the direction whence the cry had come.


A comm FAMILY. 237
CHAPTER XIII.
WE GET INTO “ THE THICK or IT”—GREAT success.
IN a few minutes we came upon a female gorilla,
which, all unconscious of our approach, was sitting
at the foot of a vine, eating the leaves. There were
four young ones beside her, engaged in the same
occupation. In order to approach within shot of
these, we had to creep on all-fours through the
brushwood with the greatest caution, for gorillas are
sharp-sighted, and they have a remarkably acute
sense of hearing, so that sometimes the breaking of
a dry twig under one's foot is sufficient to alarm
them.
We did not venture to speak even in whispers as
we advanced. But by a sign Jack told Peterkin to
take the lead. Jack himself followed, Makarooroo
went next, and I brought up the rear.
In all our hunting expeditions we usually main-
tained this arrangement where it was necessary.
Peterkin was assigned the post of honour, because he
was the best shot; Jack, being next best, came
second; and I came last, not because our guide was
a better shot than I, but because he was apt to get
excited, and to act rashly, so that he required look-


238 ATTACK ox A GORILLA FAMILY.
ing after. 1 was at all times ready to lay hold of
him by the hair of his woolly head, which, as he
Was nearly naked, was the only part of him that
one could grasp with any degree of firmness.
After creeping in this manner for some distance,
we got within range. Peterkin and Jack took aim
and fired together. The old gorilla. and one of the
young ones fell instantly, and from their 'not strug—
gling, it was evident that they were shot quite dead.
The guide and I fired immediately after, but only
the one that I fired at fell. The other two ran off
as fast as they could. Sometimes they ran on all-
fours; and I observed that while running in this
fashion, the hind legs passed between the arms, or,
as it were, overstepped them. Occasionally, how-
ever, they rose and ran on their hind legs, in a
stooping position.
When they did this, I was particularly struck
with their grotesque, yet strong, resemblance to
man ; and I do not think that I could at that time
have prevailed upon myself to fire at them. I
should have felt like a murderer. In truth, my
thoughts and sensations just then were anything but
agreeable. Nevertheless I was so excited by the
chase, that I am quite certain no one, to look at me,
could have guessed what was passing in my mind.
We ran as rapidly as was possible in such a.


BEATEN 1N A RACE. 239
tangled forest, but we had no chance with the young
gorillas. Peterkin at last ran himself out of breath.
Stopping suddenly, he said, pantingly—
“‘It’s——o’—n0 use whatever. Ho! dear me, my
bellows are about exploded.”
“ We’ve no chance in a‘ race with these hairy
men,” responded Jack, as be wiped the perspiration
from his forehead. “Why did you miss, Mak l“
“ ’Cause me no could hit, ’spose, massa.”
“Very justly and modestly said,” remarked Peter-
kin, with an approving nod. “ ’Tis a pity that men
are not more generally animated with your spirit,
Mak. Most people, when they do wrong, or make
a mistake, are too apt to try to excuse themselves."
“Yes,” I added with a laugh; “particularly when
they blow the tails out of ostriches.”
Peterkin shook his head, and said solemnly,
“Ralph, my boy, don’t take to joking. It don’t
agree with your constitution. You’ll get ill if you
do; and we can’t afford to have you laid up on our
hands in these out-0’-the-way regions.”
“ Come, now, let us back to the gorillas and
secure them, lest their comrades carry them away,"
said Jack, turning to retrace our steps.
I was anxious to shoot as many gorillas as pos-
sible, in order that I might study the peculiarities of,
and differences existing between, the different species,


240 mama MAMMA AND BABY.
—if there should be such,——and between various
individuals of the same species in all stages of de-
velopment. I had made an elaborate examination
of our first gorilla, and had taken copious notes in
regard to it. Being desirous of doing the same as
far as possible with the female and the two young
ones we had just killed, I hastened back with my
companions, and we fastened them securely among
the branches of a conspicuous tree, intending to send
out some of our men for them on our return to camp.
After this we resumed our search for more, but
wandered about for several hours without meeting
with any, although we observed recently made foot-
prints in abundance. We went as nearly as possible
in a direction parallel to our camp, so that although
we walked far, we did not increase our distance from
it to any great extent.
Presently Makarooroo made a peculiar “cluck”
with his tongue, and we all came to an abrupt
stand.
“ What is’t, Mak i"
The negro did not speak, but pointed eagerly in
front of him, while the whites of his eyes seemed to
sparkle with animation, and raised his gun to shoot.
We came up at the moment, and through an
opening in the bushes saw what he was about to fire
at. It was a female gorilla, with a baby gorilla in


I snvn THE MAMMA AND BABY. 241
her arms. Fierce and hairy though she was, there
was a certain air of tenderness about this mother, as
she stroked and pawed her little one, that went
straight to my heart, and caused me almost involun-
tarily to raise my arm and strike up the muzzle of
Makarooroo’s gun, at the moment he pulled the
trigger. The consequence of this act was that the
ball passed close over their heads. The report of
the piece was instantly followed by a roar of con-
sternation, mingled with rage, from the mother, and
a shriek of terror from the baby, which again was
immediately followed by a burst of laughter from us,
as we beheld the little baby clasp its arms tightly
round its mother, while she scampered wildly away
from us.
Mak looked at me in amazement.
“What for you be do dat, massa ?”
“To prevent you from committing murder, you
rascal,” said I, laughing. “ Have you no feelings of
natural pity or tenderness, that you could coolly aim
at such a loving pair as that ?”
The guide seemed a little put out by this remark, _
and went on re-loading his gun without making
reply. He had received enough of moral education
at the mission stations to appreciate to some extent ‘
the feelings by which I was actuated; yet he had
been so long accustomed, and so early inured, to
16


242 DISPUTATIONS AGAIN.
harsh, unfeeling deeds, that the only idea that pro-
bably occurred to him on seeing this mother and her
baby was, how near he could get to them in order
to make sure of his aim.
“Ah I Ralph,” said Jack, as we resumed our
march, “you’re too tender—hearted, my boy, for a
hunter in Africa. There you’ve lost a chance of
getting a gorilla baby, which you have been desiring
so much the last few days, and which you might
have stuck in a bottle of spirits, and sent home to
be held up to universal admiration in Piccadilly, who
knows.” Y
“Ay, who knows?” echoed Peterkin. “I think
it more probable, however, that it would be held up
to universal ridicule. Besides, you forget that we
have no spirits to preserve it in, except our own,
which I admit are pretty high,——a good deal over-
proof, considering the circumstances in which we are
placed, and the unheard-of trials we have to endure.
I’m sure I don’t know what ever induced me to
come, as a Scotch cousin of mine once said, ‘ so far
frae my ain fire-side,’ to endure trials. I do believe
I’ve had more trials since I came to this outrageous .
land than all the criminals of the last century in
England put together have had.”
“ Peterkin,” said I, seriously, “ trials are a decided
benefit and blessing to mankind—”


DISPUTA TIONS AGAIN.
“ Oh, of course,” interrupted Peterkin ; “but then,
as you have often retorted upon me that I am of the
monkey kind, I think that I could get on pretty well
without them." i
“ My opinion is that they are good both for man
and monkey,” said Jack. “Just consider, now, it
must have been a terrible trial for yon gorilla-mamma
to hear a bullet pass within an inch of her head, and
have her sweet little darling frightened almost out
of its wits. Well, but just think of the state of
'satisfaction and rejoicing that she must be in now at
having escaped. Had it not been for that trial she
would now have been in her ordinary hum-drum
condition. I quite agree with Ralph that trials are
really a blessing to us.”
“ I declare it is quite refreshing to hear that you
‘ agree’ with anybody, J ack,” rejoined Peter-kin in a
tone of sarcasm. “Perhaps Mr. Rover will kindly
enlarge on this most interesting subject, and give us
the benefit of his wisdom, and Mak, you lump of
ebony, do you keep a sharp look-out for gorillas in
the meantime.”
The guide, whose appreciation of fun was very‘
considerable, said, “ Yis, massa,” grinned from ear to
ear, in doing which he displayed a double row of
tremendous white teeth, and pretended to be gazing
earnestly among the bushes on either side in search


244 msrvrarross mam.
of game, as he followed us. The moment we began
to talk, however, I observed that he came close up
behind, and listened with all his ears. If eager
expansion indicates anything, 1 may add that he
listened with all his eyes too I
“ I shall have much pleasure in obliging you,
Peterkin,” said I, with a smile. “And in the first
place—”
“0 Ralph, I entreat you,” interrupted Peterkin,
“do not begin with a ‘first place.’ When men
begin a discourse with that, however many inter-
mediate places they may have to roam about in and
enlarge on, they never have a place of any kind to
terminate in, but go skimming along with a couple
of dozen ‘ lastlys,’ like a stone thrown over the sur-
face of a pond! which, after the first two or three
big and promising bounds,‘ spends itself in an endless
succession of twittering ripples, and finally sinks,
somehow or nchow, into oblivion Z”
“ Ahem ! Shakspeare l” said Jack.
“Not at all,” retorted Peterkin. “ If anybody
gave utterance to the sentiment before, it was Shelley,
' and he must have been on the sea-shore at the time
with a crotehet, if not a crab, inside of him. But
pray go on, Ralph.”
' “Well, then, in the first place,” I repeated with
emphasis, Whereat Peterkin sighed, “ trials, when


DISPUTATIONS AGAIN. 245
endured in a proper spirit, improve our moral nature
and strengthen our hearts ; the result of which is,
that we are incited to more vigorous mental, and, by
consequence, physical exertion, so that our nervous
system is strengthened and our muscular powers are
increased.”
“ Very well put, indeed,” cried Peterkin. “Now,
Ralph, try to forget your ‘secondly,’ omit your
‘thirdly,’ throw your ‘fourthly’ to the winds, and
let your ‘first place’ be your ‘ last place,’ and I’ll give
you credit for being a wise and effective speaker.”
I gave in to my volatile friend at that time, as I
saw that he would not allow me to go on, and, to
say truth, I thought that I had exhausted my sub-
iect. But, after all, Peterkin did not require to be
incited either to good thoughts or good actions.
With all his exuberant fun and jocularity he was at
bottom one of the most earnest and attached friends
I ever possessed. I have lived to know that his
superficial lightness of character overlaid as deeply
earnest and sympathetic a spirit as ever existed.
While we were thus conversing and wandering
through the forest, we again came upon the fresh
tracks of a gorilla, and from their great size we con-
jectured them to be those of a solitary male. It is
a remarkable fact that among several of the lower
animals we find specimens of that unnatural class of


246 mass TRACKS.
creatures which, among men, are termed old bache-
lors ! Among the gorillas these solitaires are usually
very large, remarkably fierce, uncommonly ugly, des-
perately vindictive, and peculiarly courageous ; so
much so that the natives hold them in special dread.
It is of these wild men of the woods that their most
remarkable and incredible stories are related.
“ I don’t think it’s a gorilla. at all,” said Jack,
stooping down to examine the footprints, which in
that place were not very distinct, “ I think an ele—
phant or a rhinoceros must have passed this way.”
“ No, massa, them’s not deep ’nufi' for dat. Hims
be a g0rilla,—a. bery big one, too.”
“ Don’t. let us talk then, lest we should scare it,”
whispered Peterkin. “ Lead the way, Mak ; and
mind, when we come close enough, move your great
carcase out of the way and let me to the front.”
“ No, no, lad,” said Jack. “Fair play. It’s my
turn now.”
“ So be it, my boy. But get on.”
The tracks led us a considerable distance deeper
into the wood, where the trees became so thick that
only a species of twilight penetrated through them.
To add to our discomfort, the light we knew would
soon fail us altogether, as evening was drawing on
apace, so we quickened our pace to a smart run.
We had not proceeded far when we were brought


A LONE MALE. 247
to a sudden stand-still by one of those awfully loud
and savage roars, which we at once recognised as being
that of a gorilla. It sounded like what we might
term barking thunder, and from its intensity we were
assured that our conjectures, as to the creature being
a solitary male gorilla, were correct.
“Dat him, massas I” cried our guide quickly, at
the same time cocking both barrels of his rifle.
“Look houtl we no hab go after him no more.
Him’s come to fight us. Most always does dat——de
big ole gorilla.”
We saw from the deeply earnest expression of the
negro’s countenance that he felt himself now to be
in a very serious position, which would demand all
his nerve and coolness.
Again the roar was repeated with terrible loudness
and ferocity, and we heard something like the beat-
ing of a huge bass drum, mingled with the crack-
ling of branches, as though some heavy creature
were forcing its way through the underwood to-
wards us.
We were all much impressed with this beating
sound, and, as is often the case when men are startled
by sounds which they cannot account for, we were
more filled with the dread of this incomprehensible
sound than of the gorilla which we knew was ap-
proaching us. We might, indeed, have asked an


ran ANXIOUS MOMENT. 249
courage to attack us,—displaying his great canine
teeth, and advancing slowly, step by step, I felt a
mingling of powerful emotions such as I had never
felt before in all my life, and such as cannot by any
possibility be adequately described.
I felt quite self-possessed, however, and stood be-
side my comrades with my rifle ready and my finger
on the trigger.
“Now,” whispered Peterkin. But Jack did not
move.
“Now i” said he again more anxiously, as the
immense brute advanced, beating its chest and roar-
ing, to within eight yards of us. Still Jack did not
move, and I observed that it was as much as Peter-
kin could do to restrain himself.
As it took the next step, and appeared about to
spring, Jack pulled the trigger. The cap alone ex-
ploded ! Like a flash of light the other trigger was
pulled; it also failed! Some moisture must have
got into the nipples in loading. Almost as quick as
thought Jack hurled his piece at the brute with a
force that seemed to me irresistible. The butt struck
it full in the chest, but the rifle was instantly caught
in its iron gripe. At that moment Peterkin fired,
and the gorilla dropped like a stone, uttering a heavy
groan as it fell prone with its face to the earth,—
not, however, before it had broken Jack’s rifle across,


250 NARROW nscnn
and twisted the barrel as if it had been merely a
piece of wire !
“ That was a narrow escape, Jack,” said I seriously,
after we had recovered from the state of agitation
into which this scene had thrown us.
“Indeed it was; and thanks to Peterkin's ever
ready rifle that it was an escape at all. What a
monstrous brute !”
“ Much bigger than the first one," said Peterkin.
“ Where is your measure, Ralph 2 Out with it.”
I pulled out my measure, and, applying it to the
prostrate carcase, found that the gorilla we had now
shot was five feet eight inches in height, and pro-
portionately large round the chest. It seemed to he
a mass of sinews and hard muscles, and as I gazed
at its massive limbs I could well imagine that it had
strength sufficient to perform many, at least, if not
all of the wonderful feats ascribed to it by the natives.
Shortly after the death of the gorilla night settled
down upon the scene, so we hurried back towards
our camp, where we arrived much exhausted, yet
greatly elated, by our successful day’s sport.
I spent a great part of that night making entries
in my note-book, by the light of our camp fires, while
my companions slept. And, truly, I enjoyed such
quiet hours after days of so great mental and physical
excitement. I observed, also, that the negroes en-


AFTER THE VICTORY. 251
joyed those seasons exceedingly. They sat round the
blaze, talking and laughing, and recounting, I have
no doubt, their feats of daring by flood and field;
then, when they began to grow sleepy, they sat there
swaying to and fro, making an occasional remark until
they became too sleepy even for that, when they
began to nod and wink and start, and almost fell into
the fire, so unwilling did they seem to tear themselves
away from it, even for the distance of the few feet they
required to draw back in order to enable them to lie
down. At last Nature could hold out no longer,
and, one by one, they dropped back in their places.
I, too, began to nod at last, and to make entries
in my note-book which were too disjointed at last
to be comprehensible, so I finally resigned myself to
repose,-—and to dream, as a matter of course 2


252 REFLECTIONS.
CHAPTER XIV.
one PLANS ARE SUDDENLY ALTERED—WIOKED nssrcus
nrscovnnsn.
FOR several weeks after this we wandered about in
the woods searching for gorillas. We were very
successful, and shot so many that I had the satisfaction
of making elaborate notes of specimens of nearly all
ages and kinds.
But an event was looming in the future which we
little thought of, and which ultimately compelled us
to abandon the gorilla country and retrace our steps
towards the southern part of the continent.
One day we set out, as was our wont, to hunt for
gorillas, accompanied only by our faithful follower
Makarooroo. It chanced to be a lovely day, and the
country through which we were passing was exceed-
ingly beautiful, so that we found more pleasure at
that time in conversing together on the beauties of
nature and on the wonderfulworks of nature’s God, than
in contemplating our chances of falling in with game.
“ It’s a splendid country,” said Jack, as we walked
along under the shade of some magnificent ebony
trees. “ I wish that it were inhabited by a Christian
people. Perhaps this may be the case one of these
days, but I don’t think we shall live to see it.”


REFLECTIONS. 253
“ There’s no saying, J ack,” observed Peterkin.
“ Does not the Bible speak of a ‘ nation being born
in a. day?’ Of course that must be figurative
language, nevertheless it must mean something, and
I incline to think that it means that there shall be a
time when men shall flock rapidly, and in unusually
great numbers, to the Saviour.”
“It may be so,” observed I, “ but I have made
up my mind on this point, that Christian people are
not sufficiently awake to the terrible condition of the
natives of countries such as this, or to the fact that
they have much in their power to do for the
amelioration of both their temporal and spiritual
welfare. I for one will, if spa-red to return home,
contribute more largely thzfn I have been wont to do
to the cause of missions.” _
“Talking of that,” said Peterkin, “ do you think
it right to support the missions of other Churches
besides your own?”
“Do I think it right?” I exclaimed in surprise.
"' Of course I do. I think it one of the greatest evils
that can befall a. Christian, that he should become so
narrow-minded as to give only to his own Church,
and think only of his own Church’s missions. Why,
surely a soul saved, if a matter of rejoicing in heaven,
ought to be a matter of joy on earth, without reference
to the particular Church which was the instrument


254 A mzs'rnro.
used by the Holy Spirit for that end. I feel very
strongly that all Christians who love our Saviour with
deep sincerity must of necessity have a warm feeling
towards his people in all Churches. At any rate we
ought to cultivate such a feeling.”
“Who can these he?” cried Jack, stopping and
pointing to some figures that appeared to be approach-
ing us in the distance.
“They are negroes, at any rate,” said I, for they
seem to be black, and are evidently naked.
“Warriors, too, if I mistake not. They have not
yet observed us. Shall we hide and let them pass.”
Jack hesitated a moment, then leaping behind a
bush, cried,—
“ Ay, ’tis well to be c'autious when nothing is to
be gained by daring. These fellows out-number us,
and war-parties are not to be trusted, at least not if
these of Africa resemble those of North America.”
“Hallo! there’s a white man with them,” cried
Peterkin, as he peeped over the bushes behind which
we were hid.
“ You don’t say so,-—-ehl So there is. Come, we
have nothing to fear from the party of a traveller.
What, Mak, you shake your head. What mean you 'Z”
Makarooroo increased the shaking of his head,
and said, “Me no know dat, massa. Praps hab
more to fear dan you _tink.”


WAR THREATENED. 255
“ Oh, stuff! come along. Why, Mak, it seems as if
gorilla-hunting had failed to improve your courage.”
As Jack said this he stepped out from among the
bushes and advanced to meet the strangers. Of
course we all followed, and, although we carried our
rifles in a careless manner, as if we expected no evil,
yet we held ourselves in readiness to take instant
action if necessary.
The moment the negroes perceived us, they set up
a great shout arid brandished their spears and guns,
but the voice of their leader was instantly heard
commanding them to halt. They obeyed at once,
and the European stranger advanced alone to meet
us. As he drew near we observed that he was a
splendid looking man, nearly as large as J aek
himself, with a. handsome figure and a free off-hand
gait. But on coming closer we saw that his counte-
nance, though handsome, wore a forbidding stern
expression.
“ Dat am a slabe dealer,” whispered our guide, as
the stranger came up and saluted us in French.
Jack replied in the same language, but on learning
that we were Englishmen, he began to talk in our
own tongue, although, he evidently understood very
little of it. '
“ Do you travel alone with the natives?” inquired
Jack, after a few preliminary remarks.


UNAGCOUNTABLE svmrrons. 257
had fraternized heartily, and our guide was singing
and laughing, and making himself agreeable at a very
uncommon rate, so much so as to call forth our sur—
prise.
“ Mak seems to be mad, to-day,” observed Peterkin,
as one of our guide’s jovial laughs rang through the
wood and was echoed by his new acquaintances.
“ Bees him not always so?” inquired the Portu-
guese.
“ He’s always hearty enough,” replied Jack, “ but I
must confess I never saw him in such high spirits .as
he seems to be in just now. It must be the effect of
meeting with new faces, I suppose.”
“ Ah! ’spose so,” remarked the trader.
I was struck with the manner in which this was
said. There was a tone of affected indifference, such as
.one assumes when making a passing remark, but at
the same time a dark frown rested for one moment
on his brow, and he cast a piercing vindictive glance
at our guide. Next moment he was smiling blandly
and making some humourous remark to Peterkin.
I looked at my companions, but they had evidently
not observed this little piece of by-play. It seemed
to me so unaccountable, considering that the two
men had never met before, that I resolved to watch
them. I soon observed that Makarooroo’s mirth was
forced, that he was in fact acting a part, and I'noticed
17


258 A VILLAIN rounn our.
once or twice that he, also, cast an occasional stealthy
and piercing glance at the Portuguese. It afterwards
turned out that both men had been acting the same
part, and that each had suspected what the other
was doing.
When our meal was concluded, we prepared to
resume our separate routes.
“I goes to de west,” observed the Portuguese
in a casual way, as he buckled on the belt that
supported his hunting knife.
“ Indeed! I had understood you to say that you
were going south.”
“ No, you not have onderstand me. I goes to
de west, ver’ long way.”
“ Then, sir, I wish you a safe and pleasant journey,”
said Jack, lifting his cap.
“De same to you, sairs, an’ goot plenty of gorillas
to you. Farder nord dey be more plenty. Adieu!”
We took off our caps to each other, and, saying fare-
well, we turned away and soon lost sight of the party.
“Ho ! de yaller-faced villain,”exclaimed Makarooroo
between his clenched teeth, after we were out of ear-
shot.
“Why, what’s wrong, Mak?” inquired Peterkin in
great surprise.
“ Ho ! noting porteekler,” replied the guide with a
air and tone of sarcasm that quite amused us.


A VILLAIN rounn our. 259
“Hims not go sout’, ho no! Hims go west, ho yis!
Hims advise us to go nort’, ho dear 1 dat bery clibber,
bery mush cliblcer; but we is clibherer, we is, ho!
ho! ho!” '
Our worthy guide looked so terribly fierce as he
uttered this fiendish laugh that we all came to a stand
and gazed at him in surprise; we fancied that some-
thing must have deranged his mind.
“ Mak,” said Peterkin, “you are mad. What
mean you by such grimaces?”
Parsing his lips tightly, and looking at each of us
for a few moments in silence, he finally crossed his
arms on‘ his chest and turning eagerly to Jack, said
with extreme volubility,——
“ Dat rascal! dat tief! him’s no trader; him’s slahe
dealer; hims no go west; hims go south; an’ wa’t
for hims go? \V'at for hims carry guns so many?
eh? Hims go, (here the guide dropped his voice into
a whisper of intense bitterness), hims go for attack
village an’ take all peepils away for be slabes. N 0
pay for ’em,-—tiefI——take dem by force.”
“ Why, how did you come to know all this?” said
Jack, “ or, rather, to suspect it, for you cannot be sure
that you are right.”
“~W’at no can be sure me right? 110, yis, me sartin
sure. Me bery clibbel'. Stop, now. Did him—dat
tiefl—speak bery mush?”


260 A VILLAIN FOUND our.
“Certainly he did, a good deal."
“ Yis, ho ! an’ did him make you speak bery
mush ?”
“ I rather think he did,” replied Peterkin, laugh-
ing at our guide's eagerness.
“ Yis, ho! hims did. An’ did him ax you plenty
question, all ’bout where you go, an' where you come
from, an’ de way back to village Where we be come
from. An’ did hims say, when him find you was
come from sout’ dat hims was go west, though, be-
fore dat hims hab say dat hims he go sout’ .2 eh '1”
“Certainly,” said Jack with a thoughtful look,
“ he did say all that, and a great deal more to that
effect.”
“Yis, ho! hims did. Me know bery well. Me
see him. An’ me, also, dood to de niggers what hims
do to you. Me talk an’ laugh an’ sing, den me am
dem questions! But dey bery wise, dey no speak
mush, but dey manage to speak ’nufi' for me. Yis
me bam—bam—eh l”
“ Boozle,” suggested Peterkin.
“ Yis, bamboozle dem altogidder, ho ! ho E ”
After a little further explanation we found that
this Portuguese trader was a man-stealer on his way to
one of the smaller villages with the intention of attack-
,ing it. Makarooroo ascertained that they meant to
proceed direct to that of King Jambia, first, however,


NEW PLANS. 261
getting one of the neighbouring tribes to pick a
quarrel with that monarch and go to war with him,
and we now recollected, with deep regret, that in our
ignorance of what the Portuguese was, we had given
him a great deal of information regarding the village
of our late hospitable entertainer which might prove
very useful to him, and very hurtful to poor King
Jambai, in the event of such a raid being carried out.
But, in addition to this, Makarooroo had ascertained
that it was possible that, before going to King J am—
bai’s village, they might perhaps make a descent on
that of our friend Mbango with whom we had left
poor Okandaga. It was this that raised the wrath
of our guide to such a pitch.
The instant we heard it Jack said,—
“ Then that settles the question of our future pro-
ceedings. We must bid adieu to the gorillas at once,
and dog the steps of this marauding party, so as to
prevent our good friends Mbango and J ambai being
surprised and carried into slavery along with all their
people. It seems to me that our path is clear in this
matter. Even if we were not bound in honour to
succour those who have treated us hospitably, we
ought to do our best to undo the evil we have done
in telling their enemies so much about them. Be-
sides, we must save Okandaga, whatever happens.
What say you, comrades ? ”


262 NEW PLANS.
“ Of course we must,” said Peterkin. I also heartily
concurred.
“You’s a good man,” said Makarooroo, his eyes
glistening with emotion.
“ If I did not stand by you at such a time as this,”
replied Jack, smiling, “ I should certainly be a very
bad man.”
“ But what are we to do about our goods ’4’ ” in-
quired I. “We cannot hope to keep up with these
robbers if we carry our goods with us—and yet it
seems hard to leave them behind, for we should fare
ill, I fear, in this country if we travel as beggars."
“ We shall easily manage as to that,” replied Jack.
“ I have observed that one of our niggers is a sensible,
and, I am disposed to think, atrustworthy fellow—”
“ D’you mean the man with the blind eye and the
thumping big nose ? ” inquired Peterkin.
“ The same. Well, I shall put him in charge, and
tell him to follow us to Mbango’s village; then we
four shall start off light and hunt our way south;
travelling as fast as we can, and carrying as many
strings of beads by way of small change, as we can
stuff into our pockets and fasten about our persons.”
“The very thing,” cried Peterkin. “So lets put
it in practice at once.” '
“Ay, this very night,” said Jack as we hurried
back to the spot where our goods had been left.


264 FUTURE PROSPECTS.
“Some think it probable,” observed I, “ but we
cannot make sure of that point.”
“W'ell, we can at all events make sure of this
point,” cried Peterkin, as we came in sight of our
encampment, “that lions are thick enough in the
country whither we are bound ; so let’s have a good
supper, and hurrah for the south 2 It’s a bright pros-
pect before us. A fair lady to be saved; possibly a
fight with the niggers, and lion, elephant, rhinoceros,
alligator, hippopotamus, and bufl'alo shooting by way
of relaxation in the intervals of the war!


270 A sumnm nascnvr.
“No, no,” replied Jack quickly, “we shall not
fight.”
“Suppose we bolt 1” whispered Peterkin, bright-
ening up as the idea occurred to him,—“ regularly
run away X”
We seized at the idea instantly. We were all of
us hard of muscle and strong of wind now, and we
knew that we could outstrip the savages.
“ We’ll do it l” said Jack hastily. “ Let us scat-
ter, too, so as to perplex them at the outset.”
“ Capital ! then here goes. I’m ofi' I” cried
Peterkin.
“ Stay 1” said Jack.
“Why ?” demanded Peterkin.
“ Because we must appoint a place of rendezvous
if we would hope to meet again.”
“ True; I forgot that.”
“ D’you all see yonder blue mountain-peak 'i”
“ Ay i”
“Let us meet there. If we miss each other at
the base, let us proceed to the summit and wait.
Away 1”
As Jack uttered the last word we all turned
right about and fled like the wind. The savages
instantly set up a. hideous yell, and darted after us;
but we made for the thick woods, and scattering in all
directions, as had been Previously arranged, speedily


wr: FLY. 271
threw them off the scent, and finally made our
escape.
For the first time since landing on the continent
of Africa I now found myself totally alone in the
wild forest. After separating from my companions,
I ran at my utmost speed in the direction of a dense
jungle, where I purposed taking shelter until the
natives should pass by, and then come out and pur-
sue my way leisurely. But I was prevented from
adopting this course in consequence of two very fleet
negroes discovering my intention, and, by taking a
short cut, frustrating it. I was compelled, therefore,
to keep in the more open part of the forest, and
trust simply to speed and endurance for escape.
I should think that I ran nearly two miles at full
speed, and kept well ahead of my pursuers. Indeed, '
I had distanced them considerably, but feeling that
I could not hold out long at such a killing pace, I
pulled up a little and allowed them to gain on me
slightly. I was just about to resume my full speed,
and, if possible, throw them at once far behind,
when my foot was caught by a thorny shrub, and I
fell headlong to the ground. I was completely
stunned for a moment or two, and lay quite motion-
less. But my consciousness suddenly returned, accom-
panied by a feeling of imminent danger, which caused
me to spring up and renew my headlong career.


272 TERRIBLE DANGER.
Glancing over my shoulder, I saw that the two
natives had gained so much on me that had I lain
a few seconds longer I must inevitably have been
captured.
I exerted myself now beyond my powers. My
head, too, from the shock I had received, became
confused, and I scarce knew whether I was going.
Presently a loud, dull roar, as if of distant thunder,
struck upon my ear, and I beheld what appeared to
me to be a vast white plain, covered with mist be-
fore. Next moment I found myself on the brink of
a precipice of a hundred feet deep, over which, a
little to my left, a large river fell, and thundered
down into a dark abyss, whence issued those clouds
of spray which I had taken for a white plain in the
confusion of my brain and vision.
I made a desperate effort to check myself, but it
was too late. My heels broke off the earthy edge of
-the,cliff, and I obtained just one awful glance of the
horrid turmoil directly below me as I fell over with
a mass of debris: I uttered an involuntary shriek
of agony, and flung my arms wildly out. My hand
clutched the branch of an overhanging bush. This,
slight though it was, was the means, under God, of
saving my life. The branch broke off, but it checked
my fall, and, at the same time, swung me into the
centre of a tree which projected out from the cliff


A HORRIBLE POSITION. 273
almost horizontally. Through this tree I went
crashing with fearful violenceuntil I was arrested by
my chest striking against a. stout branch. This I
clutched with the tenacity of despair, and wriggling
myself, as it were, along it, wound my arms and
legs round it, and held on for some time with the
utmost fervour of muscular energy.
My position now was beyond conception horrible.
I shut my eyes and prayed earnestly for help. Pre—
sently I opened them, and, in the position in which I
then lay, the first thing I saw was the boiling water
of the fall more than a hundred feet below me. My
agony was such that large drops of perspiration
broke out all over my forehead. It was many
minutes before I could summon up courage to turn
my head so as to look upward, for I had a vague
feeling that, if I were to move, the branch on Which
I lay would break off. When I did so, I observed
that the branches over my head completely screened
the sky from me, so that I knew I had escaped one
danger; for the natives, believing, no doubt, that I
had fallen down into the river, would at once give
up their hopeless pursuit. The branch on which I
lay was so slender that it swayed about with every
motion that I made, and the longer I remained there
the more nervous did I become.
At last I bethought me that unless I made a man-
18


274 A HORRIBLE rosmon.
ful effort I should certainly perish, so I looked about
me until I became accustomed to the giddy position.
Then I perceived that, by creeping along the
branch until I gained the trunk of the tree, I could
descend by means of it to the face of the precipice
from which it projected, and thus gain a narrow
ledge of rock that overhung the abyss. In any
other circumstances I would as soon have ventured
to cross the Falls of Niagara on a tight-rope; but I
had no other alternative, so I crept along the branch
slowly and nervously, clinging to it, at the same
time, with terrible tenacity. At last I gained the
trunk of the tree and breathed more) freely, for it
was much steadier than the branch. _
The trunk projected, as I have. said, almost hori-
zontally from the precipice, so I had to draw myself
carefully along it, not daring to get on my hands
and knees, and finally reached the ledge above referred
to. Compared with my former position, this was a
place of temporary safety, for it was three feet wide,
and, having a good head, I had no fear of falling
over. But on looking up, my heart sank within me,
for the bare cliff offered no foot~hold whatever. I
do not believe that a monkey could have climbed it.
To descend the precipice'was equally impossible, for
it was like a wall. My only hope, therefore, lay in
the ledge on which I stood, and which, I observed,


ESCAPE. 275
ran along to the right and turned round a projecting
rock that hid the remainder of it from view.
Hasting along it, I found, to my inexpreSsible re-
lief, that it communicated with the top of the preci-
pice. The ascent was difficult and dangerous, but at
last I succeeded in passing the most serious part,
and soon gained the summit of the cliff in safety,
where I immediately fell on my knees and returned
thanks for my deliverance.
I had passed nearly an hour in the trying adven-
ture which I have just related, and feeling that my
companions would naturally begin soon to be anxious
about me, I started for our rendezvous, which I
reached in little more than an hour and a half.
Here I found Jack seated alone beside a stream of
water, from which he occasionally lifted a little in
the hollow of his hand and drank greedily.
“ Ah, Ralph, my boy l” he exclaimed joyfully as I
came up, “ I’m glad you’ve come. I had begun to fear
that you must have been captured. Ay, drink, lad!
You seem warm enough, though I scarcely think you
can be much more so than I am. What a run we
have had, to be sure ! But, what ! Ralph, your
clothes are much torn, and your face and hands are
scratched. Why, you must have got among thorns.
Not badly hurt, I trust?” -
“ Oh, no; nothing to speak of. I have, however,


I
276 now IT mean wrrn more
had a. narrow escape. But before I speak of that,
what of Peterkin ’I”
“I don’t know,” replied Jack, with an anxious
expression, “ and, to say truth, I begin to feel uneasy
about him, for he ought to have been here almost as
soon as myself.” ‘
“How so? Did you, then, run together ?”
“Latterly we did. At first we separated, and I
knew not what had become either of him or you.
The fact is, I had enough to do to look out for my_
self, for a dozen of rascally niggers kept close upon
my heels and tried my powers of running somewhat,
so I took to the thick wood and made a detour, to
throw them off the scent. All at once I heard a
smashing of the bushes right in front of me, and be-
fore I knew what I was about Peterkin bounced
through the underwood and almost plunged into my
arms. We both gave an involuntary yell of alarm.
“‘ There’s two of ’em right on my heels,’ said he
in a gasp, as he dashed off again. ‘ Come along
with me, Jack.’
“ I followed as fast as I could, and we crossed an
open plain together, when I looked over my shoul-
der and saw that all the other fellows had given up
the chase except the two mentioned by Peterkin.
These kept on after us, and somehow or other we got
separated again, just after re-entering the wood on


PETERKIN LOST. 277
the other side of the plain. Of course, I ran on,
expecting to see my companion every minute.
Finally, I came to the rendezvous, and here I found
that the savages had given up all hope of overtaking
me, for I could see nothing of them.”
“How long ago is that?” I inquired quickly.
“About an hour.”
“Then poor Peterkin must have been caught,”
-said I, in a voice of despair.
“No, that is not likely,” replied Jack; “for I
climbed a high tree and saw the savages recrossing
the plain alone. I think it probable he may have
lost his way, and is afraid to climb trees or to fire off
his gun to signal us, for fear of being heard or seen by
the niggers. I have sent Mak, who came here soon
after I did, to search for him.”
“ It may be as you say, Jack, but we must go at
once to look for him.”
“With all my heart, Ralph. I only waited until
you had sufficiently rested.”
“The body cannot rest when the mind is ill at
ease. Come, let us start at once. I shall tell you
of my little adventure as we go along.”
We soon reached the edge of the plain where J ack
had been separated from his companion, and here we
proceeded to make a careful search. Being certain
that tho savages were now out of ear-shot, we began


278 PETERKIN LOST
to halloo occasionally as we went along. But mon-
keys and parrots alone replied to us.
“This is the very spot where I last saw him,”
said J ack,_ leading me to a palm-tree which stood a
little within the outer verge of the wood; “ and
here are his footsteps faintly indicated on the grass.”
“ Ah ! then let us follow these up 2” said I eagerly. _
“We might, if we were North American back-'
woodsmen or Red Indians; but I can scarcely follow
——stay, here they enter upon a piece of soft ground,
and are more distinct. Now, then, we shall get on.”
For nearly quarter of an hour we followed the
footprints; then we came to dry ground again, and
lost all traces of them. We wandered about perse—
veringly, nevertheless, and were rewarded by again
discovering them about quarter of a mile further on,
leading down to the banks of the river, on another
part of which I had had such a narrow escape.
While we were advancing—I in front—I felt the
ground beneath me suddenly begin to give way with
a crackling sound. I instinctively threw up my
arms, and sprang back.
“ Hallo, Ralph!” cried my companion, seizing me
with one hand by the collar, and hauling, or rather“
lifting me back, as if I had been a poodle dog. “ Why,
you were as near as possible into a pit-fall.”
“Thanks to you, Jack, that I am not actually in,”


280 rarsamn’s msronruxa
say, Ralph, run down for some water; I believe the
poor fellow has fainted.”
I sprang down the river bank, and speedily re-
turned with Some water in the crown of my wide-
awake. Peterkin had recovered before I came back,
and a long draught quite restored him, so that in a
few minutes he was able to relate how the accident
had befallen him.
“ You see,” said he in a jocular tone—for it was
a most unusually severe accident indeed that could
drive the fun out of our little friend—“ you see, after
I lost sight of Jack, I took a leaf out of the hare’s
book, and doubled on my course. This brought me,
unhappily, to the banks of the river, where I came
upon one of the pit-falls that are made by the niggers
here to catch wild beasts, and in I went. I kept
hold of the surface boughs, however, scrambled out
again, and pushed on. But I had not gone ten
yards when the ground began to crackle and sink. I
made a desperate bound to clear it; but my foot
caught in a. branch, and down I went head foremost
into the pit. And that’s the whole of my story.
How long I remained there I know not. If I had
known what time it was when I dived in, and you
were to tell me. what o’clock it is now, we might
arrive at a knowledge of the time I have spent at
the bottom of that hole. All that I can positchly


PETERKIN’S MISFORTUNE. 281
affirm is, that I went in, and within the last ten
minutes I came out !”
We laughed at this free-and-easy manner of new
rating the incident, and then prepared to return to
our rendezvous; but, on attempting to walk, Peterkin
found that he had received a greater shake than at
first he had imagined. Several times during our
march he became giddy, and had to be supported;
and after reaching our encampment, where we found
Makarooroo waiting for us, he fainted. We were,
therefore, obliged to make up our minds to encamp
where we were for a few days.


282 mrarmncn.
CHAPTER XVI.
AN UNFORTUNATE DELAY, AND A TERRIBLE VISITOR.
ONLY those who have been forcibly held back, when
filled with the deepest anxiety to go forward, can
form anything like a, conception of our state of mind
during the few days that succeeded that on which
Peterkin met with his accident.
We felt like chained hounds when the huntsmen
~pass by. We knew that every hour increased the
distance between us and the slave-dealer’s party, who,
unless we succeeded in passing them and reaching
the. villages first, would infallibly succeed in their
villanous design. But Peterkin was unable to pro-
ceed without great risk, as whenever he attempted
to walk steadily for any distance his head became
giddy, and we were compelled to halt, so that a day
or two’s rest was absolutely necessary. Poor Maka-
rooroo was nearly beside himself with impatience;
but to do him justice, he endeavoured to conceal the
state of his feelings when in Peterkin's presence.
During this period of forced inaction, although, of
course, I had nothing to do, I found it impossible to
apply my mind closely to the study of any of the
strange and beautiful objects by which I was sur-


REMARKABLE SPIDER. 283
rounded Anxiety banished from me almost entirely
the love of study, as well as the power of observation.
Nevertheless, one or two things that I saw were so
curious, that they could not but make a deep im-
pression on my memory.
I discovered a spider of a very remarkable kind,
which was such an ingenious creature as to be capable
of making a door to the entrance of its house. I
came upon the animal one day while taking a stroll
a short distance from our camp. It was as large as
a shilling, reddish in colour, and, from the fierce,
rapid way in which it ran about hither and thither
as if in search of prey, it had an exceedingly horrible
and voracious aspect. The hole of this creature is
visible only when its owner is absent from home.
It is quite evident either that there are no thieves
among the lower animals there, or that there is
nothing in the hole to steal, for when he goes out he
leaves the door open behind him. When he returns
he shuts the door, and the hole becomes invisible in
consequence of the door being coated with earth on
the outside. Its inside is lined with a pure white
silky substance, which at once attracted my atten-
tion as I passed. On trying to pick up the door, I
found that it was attached by a hinge to the hole,
and on being shut, it fitted exactly.
Perhaps the most singular discovery I made was


284 SPIDER. WEBS.
a tree, the stem of which had been so completely
surrounded by spiders’ webs that it could not be
seen, and I had to cut through the net-work with
my knife in order to get at the tree. The lines of
those webs were as thick as coarse threads, and pretty
strong, as I had reason to know; for when walking
back to camp the same evening, meditating deeply
on our unfortunate detention, I ran my head into
the middle of a spider’s web, and was completely
enveloped in it, so much so, that it was with consi-
derable difficulty I succeeded in clearing it away. I
was as regularly netted as if a gauze veil had been
thrown over me.
On our third morning after the accident we set
forth again, and continued our journey by forced
marches as Peterkin could bear it. Although the
two past days and nights had been absolutely 10st,
and could not now be recalled, yet the moment we
set out and left our camp behind us, the load of
anxiety was at once lifted off our minds, and we
hurried forward with an elasticity of step and spirit
that was quite delightful. \Ve felt like prisoners set
free, and kept up a continual flow of conversation,
sometimes in reference to the scener and objects
around us, at other times in regard to our future
plans or our past experiences.
“It seems to me,” said Jack, breaking silence at


NUMBER or GORILLAS saw. 285
the end of a long pause, which had succeeded an
animated discussion as to whether it were better to
spend one’s life in the civilized world, or among the
wilds of Africa—in which discussion Peterkin, who
advocated the wild life, was utterly, though not
admittedly, beaten—“ it seems to me that, notwith-
standing the short time we stayed in the gorilla
country, we have been pretty successful. Haven’t
we bagged thirty-three altogether?”
“Thirty-six, if you count the babies in arms,”
responded Peterkin.
“ Of course we are entitled to count these.”
“I think you are both out in your reckoning,”
said I, drawing out my note-book; “the last baby
that I shot was our thirty-seventh.”
What!” cried Peterkin, “the one with the des-
perately black face and the horrible squint, that
nearly tore all the hair out of Jack’s head before he
managed to strangle him? That wasn’t a baby;
it was a big boy, and I have no doubt a big rascal
besides.”
“ That may be so," I rejoined; “ but whatever he
was, I have him down as number thirty-seven in my
list.”
“ Pity we didn’t make up the forty,” observed
Jack.
“Ah! yes, indeed,” said Peterkin. “ But let me


286 NUMERICAL DIFFICULTIES.
see; could we not manage to make it up to that
yet?”
“Impossible,” said I. “We are far away from
the gorilla land now, I know; for, in addition to the
fact that we have seen no traces of gorillas for a long
time, we have, within the last few days, seen several
lions, which, you are well aware, do not exist in the
gorilla country.”
“True; but you mistake me,” rejoined Peterkin.
“ I do not mean to make up the number to forty by
killing three more, but by proving, almost to demon-
stration, that we have already been the death of that
number, in addition to those noted down.”’
“ You’ll find that rather difficult," said Jack,
laughing. v
“Not at all,” cried Peterkin. “Let me think a
minute. You remember that enormously big, hairy
fellow, that looked so like an ugly old man that
Ralph refused point blank to fire at him; where-
upon you fired at him point blank, and wounded him
in the shoulder as he was rfinning away?”
“We treated several big fellows in that way,”
replied Jack; “ which of them do you allude to?—
the one that roared so loud and terrified you so much
that you nearly ran away?”
“ No no; you know well enough which one I
mean. The one that ran along the edge of the


A PROBLEM. 287
stagnant pool into which you tumbled as we were
coming back.”
“ Oh, yes! I remember,” said Jack, laughing.
“ \Vell, that fellow flew into such a horrible rage
when he was wounded,” continued Peterkin, “that I
am perfectly certain he went straight home and
murdered his wife in a passion—which brings up
the number to thirty-eight. Then there was that
Old woman-gorilla that I brought down when we
were descending yon hill that was covered with such
splendid vines—you remember?—well, I’m quite
certain that the young man-gorilla beside her, who
ran off and escaped, was her son, and that he went
home straightway and died of grief. That makes
thirty-nine. Then——”
“ Oh, do be quiet, Peterkin, please,” said I, with a
shudder. “You put things in such a fearfully dark
and murderous light, that I feel quite as if I were a
murderer. I feel quite uneasy, I assure you; and if it
were not that we have killed all these creatures in
the cause of science, I should be perfectly miserable.”
“ In the cause of science!” repeated Peterkin;
“ humph! I suspect that a good deal of wickedness
is perpetrated under the wing of science.”
“Come, come,” said Jack, “don’t you begin to
grow sarcastic, Master Peterkin. I abominate sar-
casm, and cannot tolerate sarcastic people. If you


288 THE GoaILLA’s THREAT.
adopt that style, I shall revert to my natural habits
as a gorilla, and tear you in pieces.”
“ There you exhibit your unnatural ignorance of
your own natural habits,” retorted Peterkin; “ for you
ought to know that gorillas never tear men in pieces;
their usual mode being to knock you down with a
blow of their huge paws.”
“ Well, I will knock you down if you prefer it.”
“ Thank you; I’d rather not. Besides, you have
almost knocked me up already; so pray call a halt
and let me rest a bit.”
We were all very willing to agree to this request,
having walked the last two or three miles at a very
quick pace. Seating ourselves on the trunk of a
fallen tree, we enjoyed the beautiful prospect before
us. An open vista enabled us to see beyond the wood
in which we were travelling into an extensive sweep
of prairie land on which the sinking sun was shedding
a rich flood of light. It happened to be a deliciously
cool evening, and the chattering of numerous parrots
as well as the twittering songs of other birds—less
gorgeous, perhaps, but more musical than they—re—
freshed our ears as the glories of the landscape did
our eyes. While we were gazing dreamin before us
in silent enjoyment, Jack suddenly interrupted our
meditations by exclaiming,—
“ Hist! look yonder! ”


A SPLENDID SHOT. 289
He pointed, as he spoke, to a distant part of the
plain on which the forest closely pressed.
“A zebra ! ” cried I, with delight, for, besides the
feeling of pleasure at seeing this splendid creature, I
entertained a hope that we might shoot him and pro-
cure a steak for supper, of which at that time we
stood much in need.
‘ “I’m too tired to stalk it now,” said Peterkin,
with an air of chagrin. “ Are you up to it, Jack 2 ”
“ Quite, but I fear he’s an animal that’s very diffi_
cult to stalk in such an open country. What say
you, Mak?”
“ Hims no he cotched dis yer night, massa. Hims
too far away an’ too wide ’wake.”
“ What say you to a long shot, Peterkin ? Your
rifle is sighted for four hundred yards, and he seems
to be little more than six hundred off.”
“ I’ll try,” said our friend, going down on one knee
and adjusting the sight of his piece. Taking a long
steady aim he fired, and in another instant the zebra
lay dead on the plain. I need hardly add that our
amazement was excessive. Even Peterkin himself
could scarcely believe his eyes. Had his rifle been
sighted for such a distance, the shot, although a splen-
did one, would not have amazed us so much, because
we knew that our friend’s aim was deadly; but ashe
had to elevate the muzzle above the object fired at and
19


290 A SPLENDID snor.
guess the amount of elevation, the shot was indeed
wonderful. It was a long time before our guide
could move, but when he did recover himself he danced
and shouted like a madman with delight, and then,
setting off with a bound, sped across the plain like
a deer.
“' Come along,” cried Jack with alaugh, “ let’s fol-
low, for Mak looked so rabid when he went off, that
I believe he’ll eat the beast raw before we can claim
our share, if we don’t look sharp.”
We all of us set off at a smart trot, and soon came
to the spot where our prize lay. It was a splendid
creature, and in prime condition. After examining it
carefully, and descanting on the beauty of its striped
skin, I sat down beside it and pulled out my note-book,
while my comrades entered the forest to search for
a suitable place on which to encamp, and to kindle
a fire. A spot was quickly found, and I had scarcely
finished making notes when they returned to carry
the zebra into the encampment. We accomplished
this with'some difliculty, and laid it beside the fire.
Then cutting four large steaks from its flanks we pro-
ceeded to sup, after which we made our arrangements
for spending the night there. We little knew the
startling surprise that was in store for us that night.
As the forest in that place happened to be swarm—
ing with wild animals of every kind we deemed it
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A TERRIBLE SURPRISE. 291
prudent to set a watch as well as to keep up a blaz—
ing fire. Jack, and I, and the negro, kept watch by
turns; Peterkin, being still sufficiently an invalid to
claim exemption from laborious duties, was permitted
to rest undisturbed.
About midnight I roused Jack, and having made
him sit up, in order to show that he was thoroughly
awake, I lay down and went to sleep.
How long I slept I cannot tell, but I was suddenly
awakened by one of the most tremendous roars I ever
heard. It was so close to me, that in the confusion
of my sleepy brain, it seemed to be far more terrible
than that even of the gorilla. I was mistaken in this,
however, and no doubt my semi-somnolent condition
tended to increase its awfulness. ‘
Springing into a sitting posture, and by an involun-
tary impulse reaching out my hand for my gun which
lay close to me, I beheld a sight that was calculated
to appal the stoutest heart. A lion of the largest
size was in the very act of springing over the bushes
and alighting on the zebra, which, as I have said, lay
on the other side of the fire and not four yards off
from us. As the light glared in the brute’s eyes, and,
as it were, sparkled in gleams on its shaggy mane,
which streamed out under the force of its majestic
bound, it seemed to my bewildered gaze as though
the animal were in the air almost above my head, and


292 ANOTHER srumnm saw.
that he must inevitably alight upon myself. This at
least is the impression left upon my mind now that
I look back upon that terrific scene; but there was
no time for thought. The rear was uttered, the bound
was made, and the lion alighted on the carcase of the
zebra almost in one and the same moment. I freely
confess that my heart quailed within me. Yet that
did not prevent my snatching up my gun ; but before
I had time to cock it the crashing report of Jack’s
elephant rifle almost split the drum of my ear, and I
beheld the lion drop as if it had been a stone.
It lay without motion completely dead, and we
found, on examination, that the ball had smashed in
the centre of its forehead and completely penetrated
its brain.
Some time elapsed before we could find words to
express our feelings. Our guide, who had so com-
pletely enveloped his head and shoulders in grass
when he lay down to sleep that he was the last to
spring up, looked at the huge carcase of the lion
with an expression of utter bewilderment.
v“ What a magnificent fellow 1 And what a splen-
did shot!” exclaimed Peterkin at last. “ Why, Jack,
I don’t believe there’s a finer lion in Africa. It’s
lucky, though, that you were on the gut viva.”
“ Yes,” said I, “had it not been for you we might
have been all killed by this time.”
I
1:.


MATTER FOR MY NOTE-BOOK. 293
“No fear 0’ dat,” chimed in our guide as he sat
down on the lion’s shoulder and began to stroke its
mane; “hims was want hiin’s supper off de zebra,
ho! ho l Hims got him’s supper off a bullet ! "
“ ’Tis well that he has,” observed Jack, as he re-
loaded his rifle. “ To say truth, comrades, I scarcely
deserve credit for being guardian of the camp, for I’m
ashamed to say that I was sound asleep at the mo-
ment the lion roared. How I ever managed to take
so quick and so good an aim is more than 1 can tell.
Luckily my rifle was handy, and I had fallen asleep
in a sitting posture. Had it been otherwise I could
scarcely have been in time to prevent the brute
springing on us had he felt so disposed.”
Here was now another subject for my note-beck,
so, I sat down, and began a minute inspection of the
noble-looking animal, while my comrades, heaping
fresh logs on the fire sat down in front of it, and for
upwards of an hour “fought their battles o’er again.”
It was a matter of deep regret to us all that we
could not afford to carry away with us the skin of
this lion as a memorial, but, circumstanced as we then
were, that was out of the question, so we contented
ourselves with extracting his largest teeth and all his
claws, which we still preserve in our museum as
trophies of the adventure.


NIGHT AMUSEMENTS. 295
immediate neighbourhood of one, and, lying con-
cealed among the bushes, watch by the light of the
moon the strange habits and proceedings of the wild
creatures that came there to drink. The hours thus
passed were to me the most interesting by far that I
spent in Africa. There was something so romantic
in the kind of scenery, in the dim mysterious light,
and in the grand troops of wild creatures that came
there in all the pith and fire of untamed freedom to
drink. It was like visiting a natural menagerie on
the'most magnificent scale ; for in places where water
is scarce any pool that may exist is the scene of con—
stant and ever-changing visits during the entire night.
In fact I used to find it almost impossible to tear
myself away, although I knew that repose was abso-
lutely needful in order to enable me to continue the
journey on the succeeding day, and I am quite cer-
tain that had not Peterkin and J aek often dragged
me off in a jocular way by main force I should have
remained there all night, and have fallen asleep pro-
hany in my ambush.
One night of this kind that we passed I shall never
forget. It was altogether a remarkable and tremen-
dously exciting night ; and as it isagood type of the
style of night entertainment to be found in that wild
country I shalldescribe it. I
It happened on a Saturday night. We were then


296 norms ON THE sansa'rn.
travelling through a rather dry district, and had gone
a. whole day without tasting water. As evening
approached we came, to our satisfaction, to a large
pond of pretty good water, into which we ran knee
deep, and, filling our caps with water drank long
and repeated draughts. Then we went into a piece
of jungle about a quarter of a mile distant and made
our encampment, intending to rest there during the
whole of the Sabbath.
I may mention here that it was our usual custom
to rest on the Sabbath-days. This we did, because
we thought it right, and we came ere long to know
that it was absolutely needful, for on this journey
southward we all agreed that as life and death might
depend on the speed with which we travelled, we
were quite justified in continuing our journey on the
Sabbath. But we found ourselves at the end of the
second week so terribly knocked up that we agreed
to devote the whole of the next Sabbath to repose.
This we did, accordingly, and found the utmost
benefit from it; and We could not avoid remarking,
in reference to this, on the care and tenderness of
our heavenly Father, who has so arranged that
obedience to his command should not only bring a
peculiar blessing to our souls, but, so to speak, a
natural and inevitable advantage to our bodies.
These reflections seemed to me to throw some light


PREPARE FOR “ A NIGHT OF IT.” 297
on the passage, “ The Sabbath was made for man, not‘
man for the Sabbath.” But as this is not the place
for theological disquisition, I shall not refer further
to that subject.
Not having, then, to travel on the following day,
we made up our minds to spend an hour or two in
a place of concealment near the margin of this pond,
and I secretly resolved that I would spend the whole
night there with my note-book (for the moon we
knew would be bright), and make a soft pillow of
leaves on which I might drop and go to sleep when
my eyes refused any longer to keep open.
The moon had just begun to rise when we finished
Dour suppers and prepared to go to our post of
observation. We took our rifles with us of course,
for, although we did not intend to shoot, having more
than sufficient food already in camp, we could not
tell but that at any moment those weapons might be
required for the defence of our lives. Makarooroo
had been too long accustomed to see wild animals to
understand the pleasure we enjoyed in merely staring
at them, so he was left in charge of our camp.
“ Now then,” said Peterkin, as we left the encamp-
ment, “hurrah, for the menagerie! ”
“ You may well call it that,” said Jack, “ for
there’s no lack of variety.”
“Are we to shoot?" inquired Peterkin.


298 A POOL IN THE DESERT.
“ Better not, I think. We don't require meat, and
there is no use in murdering the poor things. \Vhat
a splendid scene!”
We halted to enjoy the view for a few seconds.
The forest out of which we had emerged bordered an
extensive plain, which was dotted here and there
with scattered groups of trees, which gave to the
country an exceedingly rich aspect. In the midst of
these the pond lay glittering in the soft moonlight
like a sheet of silver. It was surrounded on three
sides by low bushes and a few trees. On the side
next to us it was open and fully exposed to view.
The moonlight was sufficiently bright to render every
object distinctly visible, yet not so bright as to destroy
the pleasant feeling of mysterious solemnity that
pervaded the whole scene. It was wonderfully
beautiful. I felt almost as if I had reached a new
world.
Continuing our walk we quickly gained the bushes
that fringed the margin of the pool, which was no,-
where more than thirty yards broad, and on our
arrival heard the hoofs of several animals that we
had scared away clattering on the ground as they
retreated.
“ There they go already,” cried Jack, “now let us
look for a hillock of some kind on which to take up
our position.”


A POOL IN THE DESERT.
“We shall not have to look far,” said I, “for here
seems a suitable spot ready at our hand.”
“ Your eyes are sharp to-night, Ralph,” observed
Peterkin, “ the place is splendid, so let’s to work.”
Laying down our rifles we drew our hunting knives,
and began to cut down some of the underwood on
the top of a small hillock that rose a little above the
surrounding bushes, and commanded a clear view of
the entire circumference of the pond. We selected
this spot for the double reason that it was a good
point of observation and a safe retreat, as animals
coming to the pond to drink, from whatever quarter
they might arrive, would never think of ascending a
hillock covered with bushes if they could pass round it.
Having cleared a space sufiiciently large to hold
us—leaving, however, a thin screen of shrubs in front
through which we intended to peep—we strewed the
ground with leaves, and lay down to watch with our
loaded rifles close beside us. We felt Certain of seeing
a good many animals, for even during the process of
preparing our place of retreat, several arrived, and
were scared away by the noise we made.
Presently 'We heard footsteps approaching.
“ There’s something,” whispered Peterkin.
“Ay,” returned Jack, “ what I like about this sort
0’ thing is, your uncertainty as to what may turn up.
It’s like deep sea-fishing—histl look out.”


STRANGE SIGHTS AND SOUNDS.
The steps were rapid. Sometimes they clattered
over what appeared to be pebbly ground; then they
became muflied as the animal crossed a grassy spot;
at last it trotted out of the shade of the bushes
directly opposite to us into the moonlight, and showed
itself to be a beautiful little antelope of the long
horned kind, with a little fawn by its side. The
two looked timidly round for a few seconds, and
snufl'ed the air as if they feared concealed enemies,
and then, trotting into the water, slaked their thirst
together. I felt as great pleasure in seeing them
take a long satisfactory draught, as if I had been
swallowing it myself, and hoped they would continue
there for some time, but they had barely finished when
the rapid gallop of several animals was heard, and
scared them away instantly.
The new comers were evidently heavy brutes, for
their tread was loud and quite distinct as compared
with the steps of the antelopes. A few seconds
sufficed to disclose them to our expectant eyes. A
large herd of girafi'es trotted to the water's edge and
began to drink. It was a splendid sight to behold
these graceful creatures stooping to drink, and then
raising their heads haughtin to a towering height as
they looked about from side to side. In the course
of a couple of hours we saw elands, springboks,
gnus, leopards, and an immense variety of wild.


ALARM. 301
creatures, some of which fawned on and played with
each other, while others fought and bellowed until
the woods resounded with the din.
While we were silently enjoying the sight, and I
attempting to make a few entries in my note-book,
our attention was attracted to a cracking of the
branches close to the right side of our hillock.
“Look out!” whispered Jack; but the warning
was scarcely needed, for we instinctively seized our
rifles. A moment after our hearts leaped violently
as we heard a crashing step that betokened the
approach of some huge creature.
“Are we safe here?” I whispered to Jack.
“ Safe enough if we keep still. But we shall have to
cut and run if an elephant chances to get sight of us.”
I confess that at that moment I felt uneasy. The
hillock on the summit of which we lay was only a
place of comparative safety, because no animal was
likely to ascend an elevated spot without an object
in view, and as the purpose of all the nocturnal
visitors to that pond was the procuring of water, we
did not think it probable that any of them would
approach unpleasantly near to our citadel; but if
any wild beast should take a fancy to do so there
was nothing to prevent him, and the slight screen
of bushes by which we were surrounded would
certainly have been no obstacle in the way.


ELEPHANTS ! 303
sighs vented by my comrades I judge that they also
had experienced somewhat similar relief. \Ve had
not, however, had time to utter a whisper before
our ears were assailed by the most tremendous noise
that we had yet heard. It came from the opposite
side of the pool, as if a great torrent were rushing
towards us. Presently a black billow seemed to
burst out of the jungle and roll down the sloping
bank of the pond.
“ Elephants!” exclaimed Jack.
“ Impossible,” said I, “ they must be buffaloes.”
At that instant they emerged into the full blaze
of the moon and showed themselves to be a herd of
full-grown elephants with a number of calves. There
could not have been fewer than one hundred on the
margin of the pond, but from the closeness of their
ranks and their incessant movements, I found it im~
possible to count their numbers accurately. This
magnificent army began to drink and throw water
about, waving their trunks and trumpeting shrilly
at the same time with the utmost delight. The
young ones especially seemed to enjoy themselves
immensely, and I observed that their mothers were
very attentive to them, caressing them with their
trunks and otherwise showing great fondness for their
offspring.
“I say,” whispered Peterkin, “ what a regiment of


304 BREAKING THROUGH sums.
cavalry these fellows would make, mounted by gorillas
armed with scythe-blades for swords, and highland
claymores for dirksl”
“Ay, and cannon-revolvers in their pockets!”
added Jack, “but, look, that hideous 01d rhinoceros.
He has been standing there for the last two minutes
like a rock, staring intently across the water at the
elephants.”
“Hus ,” said I, “whisper softly. He may hear
us.”
“ There goes something else on our side,” whispered
Peterkin, pointing to the right of our hillock.
“ Don’t you see it? There against the— I do believe
it’s another giraffe l"
“ So it is! Keep still. His ears are sharp,"
muttered Jack, examining the lock of his rifle.
“ Come, come,” said I, “ no shooting, Jack. You
know we came to see, not to shoot.”
“ Very true, but it’s not every day one gets such
a close shot at a giraffe. “ I must procure a specimen
for you, Ralph.”
Jack smiled as he said this and raised his rifle.
Peterkin at the same moment quietly raised his,
saying, “ If that’s your game, my boy, then here goes
at the rhinoceros. Don’t hurry your aim. We’ve
lots of time.”
As I waited for the reports with breathless


uncomroa'mens POSITION. 305
attention, I was much struck at that moment by the
singularity of the circumstances in which we were
placed. On our left stood the rhinoceros, not fifteen
yards off. On our right the giraffe raised his long
neck above the bushes, about twenty yards distant,
apparently uncertain whether it was safe to advance
to the water; while in front lay the lake reflecting
the soft clear moonlight, and beyond that the phalanx
of elephants enjoying themselves vastly. I had but
two moments to take it all in at a glance; for Jack
said, “Now!” in a low tone, and instantly the loud
report of the two rifles thundered out upon the night
air.
Words cannot convey, and the reader certainly
cannot conceive, any idea of the trumpeting, roaring,
crashing, shrieking, and general hubbub that succeeded
to the noise of our fire-arms. It seemed as if the
wild beasts of twenty menageries had simultaneously
commenced to smash the wood-work of their cages,
and to dash out upon each other in mingled fury
and terror; for not only was the crashing of boughs,
and bushes, and smaller trees quite terrific, but the
thunderous tread of the large animals was absolutely
awful.
We were thoroughly scared, for, in additiOn to all
this, from the midst of the horrid turmoil there came
forth a royal roar close behind us that told of a lion
20


306 suanoummn.
having been secretly engaged in watching our pro-
ceedings ; and we shuddered to think that, but for
our firing, he might have sprung upon us as we lay
there, little dreaming of his presence.
Since our last adventure with the king of beasts,
Makarooroo had entertained us with many anecdotes
of the daring of lions, especially of those monsters
that are termed man-eaters; so that when we heard
the roar above referred to, we all three sprang to
our feet, and faced about with the utmost alacrity.
So intent were we on looking out for this dreadful
foe—for we had made up our minds that it must be
a man-eating lion—that we were utterly indifferent
to the other animals. But they were not indifferent
to us, for the wounded rhinoceros, catching sight of
us as we stood with our backs towards him, charged
at once up the hillock.
To utter three simultaneous, yet fearfully distinct
yells of terror, spring over the low parapet of bushes,
and fly like the wind in three different directions,
was the work of a moment. In dashing madly down
the slope, my foot caught in a creeping shrub, and I
fell heavily to the earth.
The fall probably saved my life, for, before I could
rise, the rhinoceros sprang completely over me in its
headlong charge. So narrow was my escape, that
the edge of one of its ponderous feet alighted on the


sunaonsnnn. 307
first joint of the little finger of my left hand, and
crushed it severely. Indeed, had the ground not
been very soft, it must infalliny have bruised it off
altogether. The moment it had passed I jumped up,
and, turning round, ran in the opposite direction.
I had scarcely gone ten paces when a furious growl
behind me, and the grappling sound as of two
animals in deadly conflict, followed by a fierce how],
led me to conclude that the lion and the rhinoceros
had unexpectedly met each other, and that in their
brief conflict the former had come of second best.
But I gave little heed to that. My principal
thought at that moment was my personal safety; so
I ran on as fast as I could in the direction of our
encampment, for which point, I had no doubt, my
companions would also make.
I had not run far when the growl of a lion, ap_
parently in front, caused me to stop abruptly.
Uncertain of the exact position of the brute, I turned
off to one side, and retreated cautiously and with as
little noise as possible, yet with a feeling of anxiety
lest he should spring upon me unawares. But my
next step showed me that the lion was otherwise
engaged. Pushing aside a few leaves that obstructed
my vision, I suddenly beheld a lion in the midst of
an open space, crouched as if for a spring. Instinc-
tively I threw forward the muzzle of my rifle; but


308 ENCOUNTER WITH A LION.
a single glance showed me that his tail, not his head,
was towards me. On looking beyond, I observed
the head and shoulders of J ack, who, like the lion,
was also in a crouching position, staring fixedly in
the face of his foe. They were both perfectly motion-
less, and there could not have been more than fifteen
or twenty yards between them.
The true position of affairs at once flashed across
me. Jack in his flight had unwittingly run almost
into the jaws of the lion—and I now felt convinced
that this must be a second lion, for it could not have
been the one that was disturbed by the rhinoceros,
as I had been running directly away from the spot
where these two brutes had met. Jack had crouched
at once. We had often talked, over our camp-fire,
of such an event as unexpectedly meeting a lion
face to face; and Peterkin, who knew a good deal
about such matters, had said that in such a case a
man’s only chance was to crouch and stare the animal
out of countenance. We laughed at this; but he
assured us positively that he had himself seen it done
to tigers in India, and added, that if a man turned
and ran his destruction would be certain. To fire
straight in the face of a lion in such a position would
be excessively dangerous; for while the bullet might
‘ kill, it was more than prObable it would glance off
the bone of the forehead, which would be presented


ursnr. 31 1
A confused sound of yells and roars filled my ear for
a moment. I struggled to collect my faculties.
“ Hallo! Jack! Ralph! where are you?” shouted
a voice that 'I well knew to be that of Peterkin.
“ Hurrah! I’m coming. Don’t give in! I’ve
killed him! The rhinoceros is dead as a door nail!
Where have you—.”
I heard no more, having swooned away. I


31 2 nesuscxrs'rron. ~
CHAPTER XVIII.
srrmscr. AND TERRIBLE nrscovsmss— JACK 1s MADE
comrmnrn—m-cnmr or AN ARMY.
WHEN my consciousness returned, I found myself
lying on my back beside our camp-fire, with my head
resting on- Peterkin’s knee; and the first sound I
heard was his pleasant voice, as he said—
“All right, Jack; he’s coming round. I’m quite
certain that no serious damage is done. I know
well what sort 0’ rap he must have got. It’ll bother
him a little at first, but it won’t last long.”
Comforted not a little by this assurance, I opened
my eyes and looked up.
“ What has happened?” I inquired faintly.
“Ah! that’s right, Ralph. I’m glad to hear your
voice again. D’you know I thought at first it was
all over with you?”
“ Over with him!” echoed Peterkin; “it’s only
begun with him. Ralph’s days of valorous deeds
are but commencing. Here, my boy, put this flask
to your mouth. It’s lucky I fetched it with us.
Here, drink.”
“No, not until you tell me what has occurred,”
said I, for I still felt confused in my brain.
“ Then I won’t tell you a word until you drink,”


RESUSCITATION. 313
repeated my friend, as he looked anxiously in my
face and held the flask to my lips.
I sipped a mouthful, and felt much revived.
“Now,” continued Peterkin, “ I’ll tell you what
has happened. \Ve’Ve floored a rhinoceros, and a
giraffe, and a lion; which, to my thinking, is a pretty
fair bag to make after dusk of a Saturday night!
And my big rifle has floored you, which is the least
satisfactory part of the night’s entertainment, but
which wouldn’t have occurred had you remembered
my instructions, which you never do."
“Oh, I recollect now,” said I, as the spirits re—
vived me. “ I’m all right; but, Jack, I trust that
you have not received damage?”
“Not a scratch, I’m thankful to say; though, I
must confess, I was near catching an ugly wound.”
“ How so?” I inquired quickly, observing a pecu-
liar smile on Jack’s face as he spoke.
“Oh, make your mind easy,” put in Peterkin;
“ it was just a small bit of an escape he made. When
you let drive at the lion so effectively, one of the
balls went in at his mouth and smashed its way out
at the back of his skull. The other ball shaved his
cheek, and lodged in a tree not two inches from
Jack’s nose.”
“ You don’t mean it!” cried I, starting up, regard-
less of the pain occasioned to my injured shoulder


314 PETERKIN REBUKED.
by the movement, and gazing intently in Jack’s
face.
“Come, come,” said he, smiling; “you must not
be so reckless, Ralph. Lie down again, sir.”
“ Peterkin, you should not talk lightly of so nar-
row an escape,” said I, reproachfully. “The fact that
such a terrible catastrophe has nearly occurred ought
to solemnize one.”
“ Granted, my dear boy; but the fact that such a.
catastrophe did not occur ought, I hold, to make us
jolly. There’s no managing a fellow like you, Ralph.
I knew that if I told you of this gravely, you would
get into such a state of consternational-self-reproach-
ativeness, so to speak, that you would infalliny make
yourself worse. And now that I tell it to you
‘lightly,’ as you call it, you take to blowing me
up.”
I smiled as my friend said this, and held out my
hand, which he grasped and squeezed. Feeling at
the moment overcome with drowsiness, I unconsciously
retained it in my grasp, and thus fell sound asleep.
Three days after this misadventure, I was nearly
as well as ever, and we were once more journeying
by forced marches towards the south. Two days
more, we calculated, would bring us to Mbango’s
village. As the end of our journey approached, we
grew more desperately anxious to push forward, lest


31 6 TUBER-ROOTB.
to make up to the inhabitants in a great degree for
the want of a full supply of water.
I also observed, with much interest, a species of
plant which, like man, is capable of being, as it were,
acclimatized. It is not by nature a tuber-bearing
plant ; yet here it had become so, in order to be able
to retain a sufficiency of moisture during the dry
season. Makarooroo also dug up for us several
tuber-roots, which were the size of a large turnip,
and filled with a most delicious juice, which, as we
were much oppressed with thirst at the time, appeared
to us like nectar. Besides these, we also procured
water-melons in abundance at certain spots; which
were a great treat, not only to us, but also to ele-
phants, rhinoceroses, antelopes, and many other
animals, whose footprints we found in great numbers,
and whose depredations among the water-melons were
very evident.
During the whole of this journey we made a
point, as I have already remarked, of avoiding man;
not that we were indifferent to him, but anxious not
to be detained at that particular time. We were
very fortunate in this matter, for we succeeded in
eluding the observation of the natives of many villages
that we passed, in escaping others by flight, and in
conciliating those who caught us, by making them
liberal gifts of beads.


318 axons or A near.
might introduce this giant species into France, and
thereby make our fortunes.”
“You greedy fellow,” cried Jack, who was busy-
ing himself in lighting the fire, “ your fortune is
made already. How many would you have i”
“D’ye know, Jack, I have been in possession of
my fortune, as you call it, so short a time that I
cannot realize the fact that I haVe it. Hallo! Mak,
what’s wrong with you ’4’”
Peterkin thus addressed our guide because he
came into the camp at that moment with a very
anxious expression of countenance.
“ Dere hab bin fight go on here,” said he, showing
several broken arrows stained with blood, which he
had picked up near our encampment.
“Ha! so there has, unless these have been shot
at wild beasts,” said Jack, examining the weapons
carefully.
“No, massa. No shot at wild beast. De wild
beast hab bin here too, but dey come for to eat mans
after he dead.”
“ Come, let us see the spot,” said Jack.
Makarooroo at once led the way, and we all
followed him to a place not a hundred yards dis-
tant, where there were evident traces of a fight
having taken place. Jack seemed to be much dis»
tressed at the sight.


320 anxrous susrrcrons.
our anxious condition, and were desirous of increas~
ing our discomforts. We had to keep a sharp look-
out, and once or twice discharged our rifles in the
direction of the nearest sounds, not in the expectation
of hitting any of the animals, but for the purpose of
scaring them away.
Towards morning we came out upon an open
plain, and left these evil prowlers of the night he—
hind us.
About daybreak we came within sight of Mban-
go’s village, but the light was not sufficient to enable
us to distinguish any object clearly. Here again we
came upon traces of war, in the shape of broken
arrows and daggers, and human bones—for the poor
wretches who had been slain had been at once de-
voured by wild beasts.
Hurrying forward with intense anxiety, we
reached the outskirts of the village; and here a scene
presented itself that was well calculated to fill our
breasts with horror and with the deepest anxiety.
Many of the houses had been set on fire, and were
reduced to ashes. The mangled corpses of human
beings were seen lying here and there amongst the
embers; some partially devoured by wild beasts,
others reduced‘ to simple skeletons, and their bones
left to whiten on the ruins of their old homes. In
one place the form of a woman tied to a tree, and


TERRIBLE msoovnmr. 321
dreadfully mangled, showed that torture had been
added to the other horrors of the attack.
With feelings of mingled rage, pity, and anxiety,
we hastened towards the but that had been the resi-
dence of Mbango, the chief. We found it, like the
rest, in ruins, and among them discovered the
remains of a- child. Recollecting the little son of
our friend Njamie, Okandaga’s guardian, I turned the
body over in some anxiety; but the features were
too much mutilated to be recognisable.
“Alas! alas l” I exclaimed, as we collected in a
group round this remnant of a little child, “ what a
dreadful sight! What an unhappy race of beings!
Without doubt our friends have been slain, or
carried into captivity.”
Poor Makarooroo, Who had been from the first
going about among the ruins like a maniac, with a
bewildered air of utter despair on his sable counte-
nance, looked at me as if he hoped for a slight word
that might re-animate hope in his bosom. But I
could give him none, for I myself felt hopeless.
Not so Jack. With that buoyancy of spirit that
was peculiar to him, he suggested many ideas that
consoled our guide not a little.
“You see,” said he, “the rascally Portuguese
traflicker in human flesh would naturally try to
effect his object with as little bloodshed as possible.
21


322 HOPES m1) runs.
He would just fight until he had conquered, not
longer; and then he would try to take as many
prisoners as he could, in order to carry them away
into slavery. Now, I cannot conceive it possible
that he could catch the whole tribe.”
“ Of course not,” interrupted Peterkin; “he had a
comparatively small party. To take a whole tribe
prisoners with such a band were impossible.”
“Ay, but you forget,” said I, “that he might
easily prevail on some other tribe to go to war
along with him, and thus capture nearly the whole.
Yet some must have escaped into the woods, and it
is probable that among these may have been the
chief and his household. Okandaga may be safe,
and not far off, for all we know.”
The guide shook his head.
“ At any rate,” observed Jack, “if caught they
would certainly be guarded with care from injury;
so that if we could only find out which way they
have gone, we might pursue and attack them.”
“ Four men attack forty or fifty,” said I, despond-
ingly.
“ Ay, Ralph ; why not ?” asked Peterkin.
“ Oh, I doubt not our pluck to do it,” I replied;
“ but I doubt very much our chances of success.”
While we were yet speaking our attention was
attracted by a low wail, and the appearance of some


A BEREAVED MOTHER. 323
living object creeping amongst the ruins not far from
us. At first we thought it must be a beast of prey
lurking in the neighbourhood of the 'dead, and im-
patient at our having interrupted its hideous banquet;
but presently the object sat up, and proved to be a
woman. Yet she was so covered with blood and
dust, and so awfully haggard in appearance, that we
could with difficulty believe her to be a human
being.
At first she appeared to be in ignorance of our
presence. And indeed so she actually was ; for her
whole soul was absorbed in the contemplation of the
dead and mangled body of an infant which lay in
her arms, and which she pressed ever and anon with
frantic energy to her breast, uttering occasionally a
wail of such heart-broken sadness, that the tears
sprang irresistibly into my eyes while I gazed upon
her. There needed no explanation of her tale of
woe. The poor mother had crept back to her but
after the fierce din of battle was over, to search for
her child ; and she had found it ; but, ah! who can
conceive the unutterable anguish of heart that its
finding had occasioned!
“ Speak to her, Mak,” said Peterkin in a husky
voice ; “ she will be less afraid of you, no doubt, than
of us.”
Our guide advanced. The slight noise he made


324 cussnvo A WOMAN.
in doing so attracted the poor woman’s attention,
and caused her to look up with a wild, quick glance.
The instant she saw us she leaped up with the agility
of a leopard, clasped her dead child tightly to her
breast, and uttering shriek upon shriek, rushed head-
long into the jungle.
“After her!” cried Jack, bounding forward in
pursuit. “ She’s our only chance of gaining infor-
mation.”
We all felt the truth of this, and joined in the
chase at top speed. But although we ran fast and
well, the afi'righted creature at first outstripped us.
Then, as we tired her out, and drew near, she doubled
on her track, and dived hither and thither among
the thick underwood in a way that rendered it ex—
ceedingly difficult to catch her.
Peterkin was the first to come up with her. He
gradually but perseveringly ran her down. When
he came within a few yards of her, the poor creature
sank with a low wail to the ground, and turning
half round, glanced at her pursuer with a timid,
imploring, yet despairing expression. Alas! despair
mingled with it because she knew too well the terrible
cruelty of savage men when their blood is up, and
she knew nothing yet of the hearts of Christians.
Peterkin, whose susceptible nature was ever easily
touched, felt a thrill of self-reproach as the thought


CAUGHT. 325
suddenly occurred that, however good his intentions
might be, he was in reality running a helpless woman
down like a blood-hound. He stopped short in-
stantly, and acting, as on most occasions he did,
impulsively, he threw his rifle away from him, un-
clasped his belt, and throwing it, with his hunting-
knife, also away, sat down on the ground and held
out both his hands.
There was something almost ludicrous in the act,
but it had the effect of, to some extent, relieving the
poor woman’s fears. Seeing this, as we successively
came up we all laid down our rifles, and stood before
the crouching creature with our empty hands ex-
tended towards her, to show that we meant her no
harm. Still, although she seemed less terrified, she
trembled violently, and panted from her recent ex-
ertion; but never for a moment relaxed her hold of
the dead child.
“Speak to her, Mak,” said 'Jack, as the guide
came up. “ Tell her who and what we are at once,
to relieve her feelings; and let her know especially
that we are the bitter enemies of the villain who
has done this deed."
While Makarooroo explained, the woman’s counte-
nance seemed to brighten up, and in a few minutes
she began to tell with great volubility the events of
the attack. The trader, she said, had come suddenly


826 INFORMATION.
on them in the dead of night with a large band, and
had at once routed the warriors of the village, who
were completely taken by surprise. A few had
escaped; but Mbango, with Okandaga and his
household, had been taken prisoners, and carried
away with many others.
“ How long is it since this happened?” inquired
Jack.
“ She say two days, massa. Den dey go off to
’tack King Jambai.”
“Ah! then it is too late to save him,” returned
Jack in a tone of sadness.
Our hearts sank on learning this; but on question-
ing the woman further, we found that the marauding
party, deeming themselves too weak to attack so
large a village as that of King Jambai, had talked
of turning aside to secure the assistance of another
tribe not far distant, who, they knew, would be too
glad to pick a quarrel with that chief.
“Then we shall do it yet!” cried Jack, springing
up energetically. “We shall be in time to warn
J ambai and to save Okandaga and her friends.
Come, Mak, cheer up. Things begin to look
better.”
The cheerful confident voice in which our friend
said this, raised my hopes wonderfully, even although,
on consideration, I could not see that our chances of


mummy RESUMED. 327
success were very great. Our guide was visibly
comforted, and we stepped aside to pick up our rifles
with considerable alacrity.
During the brief period in which we were thus
employed, the poor woman managed to creep away,
and when we again looked round she was gone.
Our first impulse was to give chase again, but the
thought of the needless terror which that would
occasion her deterred us, and before we could make
up our minds what to do she was almost beyond our
reach, and would certainly have cost us an hour of
search, if not longer, to find her. Time pressed. To
reach the village of King Jambai with the utmost
possible speed was essential to the safety of the tribe,
so we resolved to leave her, feeling as we did so that
the poor creature could sustain herself on roots and
berries without much difficulty or suffering until she
reached the village of some neighbouring tribe.
We now pushed on again by forced marches,
travelling by night and by day; shooting just enough
game as we required for food, and taking no more
rest than was absolutely necessary to enable us
to hold on our way. In a short time we reached the
village, which, to our great joy, we found in'much
the same state as it was when we left it.
King Jambai received us with great delight, and
his people went into a state of immense rejoicing——


328 ARRIVAL A’l‘ JAMBAI’S VILLAGE.
firing guns, and shouting, and beating kettles and
drums, in honour of the arrival of the “ white-faces;”
which name was certainly a misnomer, seeing that
our faces had by that time become the very reverse
of white—indeed they were little lighter than the
countenances of the good people by whom we were
surrounded.
But the king’s consternation was very great when
we told him the reason of our unexpected visit, and
related to him the details of the terrible calamity
that had befallen poor Mbango and his people. He
appeared sincerely grateful for the effort we had.
made to warn him of the impending attack, and
seemed unable to express his thanks when we offered
to aid him in the defence of his village.
We now deemed this a fitting moment to tell the
king boldly of our having assisted in the escape of
Okandaga from his village, and beg his forgiveness.
He granted this at once, but strongly advised us
to keep our secret quiet, and leave it to him to
account to his warriors for the re-appearance of the
runaway maiden when retaken. Of course we could
make no objection to this, so after thanking him
we entered upon a discussion of the best method of
frustrating the slave dealer’s designs.
“Tell the king,” said Jack, addressing himself to
our guide, “that if he will make me commander-in~


JACK PKOMOTED. 329
chief of his forces, I will show him how white warriors
manage to circumvent their enemies.”
“ I would like much,” said Peterkin, laughing, “to
know how Mak will translate the word circumvent!
Your style is rather flowery, Jack, for such an inter-
preter. And upon my word, now I think of it, your
presumption is considerable. How do you know
that I do not wish to be commander-in-chief myself? ”
“ I shall make over the command to you with all
my heart if you wish it,” said Jack, smiling blandly.
“ Nay, I’ll none of it. However suited I may be
to the work, the work is not suited to me, so I resign
in your favour.”
“ Well, then,” said Jack, “ since you decline to
accept the chief command, I’ll make you my second.
Mak shall be my aide-de-camp ; you and Ralph shall
be generals of divisions.”
“I thank you much, my honoured and honourable
generalissimo; but perhaps before being thus liberal
of your favours, it were well to ascertain that your
own services are accepted.”
“ That is soon done. What says the king, Mak?”
“Hims say that him’s delighted to git you, an’
you may doos how you like.”
“ That’s plain and explicit. You see, Peterkin, that
I’m fairly installed, so you and I will take a short
walk together and hold a consultation as to our plans


330 A FIGHT m PROSPECT.
in the approaching campaign, while Ralph arranges
our but and makes things comfortable.”
“A glorious campaign, truly, to serve in an army
of baboons, led by a white gorilla! I would deem
it almost comical, did I not see too sure a probability
of bloodshed before its conclusion,” remarked Peterkin.
“ That you shall not see, if I can prevent it. And
it is for the purpose of consulting you on that point,
and claiming your services in an old and appropriate
character, that I drag you along with me now,” said
Jack, as he rose, and, making a bow to the king,
left the hut.


rnsmrurrons FOR WAR. 331
CHAPTER XIX.
PREPARATIONS FOR WAR. AND PECULIAR DRILL.
THE plan which Jack and Peterkin concocted, while
I was engaged in making the interior of our old
residence as comfortable as possible, was as follows :——-
Scouts were, in the first place, to be sent out that
night all over the country, to ascertain the where—
abouts of the enemy. Then, when the enemy should
be discovered, they were to send back one of their
number to report, while the remainder should remain
to dog their steps, if need be, in order to ascertain
whether Mbango and Okandaga were in their
possession, and, if so, where they were kept, whether
in the midst of the warriors or in their rear.
This settled, the remainder of the warriors of the
village were to be collected together, and a speech to
be made to them by Jack, who should explain to
them that they were to be divided into two bands.
All who carried guns to be placed under the immediate
charge of Jack himself. The others, carrying bows
and spears, to be placed under me. Peterkin was to
act a peculiar part, which will appear in the course
of narration. ‘
Having partaken of a hearty supper, we assembled


332 PREPARATIONS FOR WAR.
the scouts, and having, through Makarooroo, given
them their instructions, sent them away just as the
shades of night began to fall. We next caused a
huge bon-fire to be kindled, and round this all the
men of the village assembled, to the extent of several
hundreds. The king soon appeared, and mounting
the trunk of a fallen tree, made a long speech to his
warriors, telling them of the danger that threatened
them in such vivid and lively terms, that the greater
part of them began to exhibit expressions of consider-
able uneasiness on their countenances. He then
told them of the trouble that we had taken in order
to give them timely warning-—whereat they cast
upon us looks of gratitude; and after that introduced
Jack to them as their commander-in-chief, saying,
that as a white man led the enemy, nothing could be
better than that a white man should lead them to
meet the enemy—whereat the sable warriors gave a
shout of satisfaction and approval.
Having been thus introduced, Jack mounted the
trunk of the fallen tree, and Makarooroo got up beside
him to interpret. He began, like a wise diplomatist,
by complimenting King Jambai, and spoke at some
length on courage in general, and on the bravery of
King J ambai’s warriors in particular; which, of course,
he took for granted. Then he came to particulars, and
explained as much of his intended movements as he


PECULIAR DRILL. 333
deemed it good for them to know; and wound up by
saying that he had three words of command to teach
them, which they must learn to understand and act
upon that very night. They were, “ Forward 1”
“Halt l” and “Fire l” By saying the first of these
words very slow and in a drawling voice, thus—
“ Forw-a-a-a-a-a-rd 1” and the second in a quick sharp
tone, and the third in a ferocious yell that caused the
whole band to start, he actually got them to under—
stand and distinguish the difference between the
commands, and to act upon them, in the course of
half an hour.
The drill of his army being thus completed, Jack
dismissed them with a caution to hold themselves in
readiness to answer promptly the first call to arms;
and the king enforced the caution by quietly assuring
them that the man who did not attend to this order,
and otherwise respect and obey Jack as if he were
the king, should have his heart, eyes, and liver torn
out, and the. rest of his carcass cast to the dogs,—a
threat which seemed to us very horrible and un-
called for, but which, nevertheless, was received by
the black warriors with perfect indifference.
“Now, Mak,” said Jack, as he descended to the
ground, “ do you come with me, and help me to place
sentn'es.”
“ W’at be dat, massa?"


334 NEWS OF THE ENEMY.
“ Men who are placed to guard the village from
surprise during the night,” explained Jack.
“ Ho! dat be de ting; we know someting ’bout dat.”
“No doubt you do, but I daresay you don’t know
the best way to place them; and perhaps you are
not aware that the pretty little threat uttered by the
king shall be almost carried out in the case of every
man who shall be found asleep at his post or who
shall desert it.” .
The guide grinned and followed his commander in
silence, while I returned to our but and busied myself
in cleaning the rifles and making other preparations
for the expected fight.
At an early hour on the following morning we
were awakened by the arrival of one of the scouts,
who reported that the Portuguese trader, with a
strong and well armed force, was encamped 0n the
margin of a small pond about fifteen miles distant
from the village. The scout had gone straight to
the spot on being sent out, knowing that it was
a likely place for them to encamp, if they should
encamp at all. And here he found them making
active preparations for an attack on the village.
Creeping like a serpent through the grass, the scout
approached near enough to overhear their arrange-
ments, which were to the effect that the attack should
take place at midnight of the following day. He


HOPE anvrvsn. 335
observed that there were many prisoners in the camp,
men, women, and children; and these were to be left
behind, in charge of a small party of armed men,
while the main body, under the “immediate command
of the Portuguese trader, should proceed to the attack
of the village.
From the scout’s description of the prisoners, we
became convinced that they were none other than
our friends Mbango and his people, and one woman
answering to the description of Okandaga was among
them.
“ So, Mak, we shall save her yet,” cried Jack,
heartily, slapping the shoulder of the guide, whose
honest visage beamed with returning hope.
“ Yis, massa. S’pose we go off dis hour and
fight ’em 2"
“ Nay, that were somewhat too hasty a move-
ment. ‘ Slow but sure,’ must be our motto until
night. Then we shall pounce upon our foes like a.
leopard on his prey. But ask the scout if that is all
he has got to tell us.”
“ Hims say, massa, dat hims find one leetle chile
-—one boy—when hims go away from de camp to
come back to here.” '
“A boy l” repeated Jack, “ where—how 2”
“In de woods, where hims was trow’d to die, so
de scout take him up and bring him to here.”


336 A DISCOVERY.
“Ah, poor child!” said I; “no doubt it must
have been sick, and being a burden, had been left
behind. But stay, how could that be possible if it
was found between the camp and this village 2”
On further inquiry, we ascertained that the scout,
after hearing what he thought enough of their ar-
rangements, had travelled some distance beyond the
encampment, in order to make sure that there were
no other bands connected with the one he had left,
and it was while thus engaged that he stumbled
on the child, which seemed to be in a dying con-
dition. _
“ Hims say, too,” continued Makarooroo, after in-
terpreting the above information, “ that there be one
poor woman in awfable sorrow, screeching and holler-
owin’ like one lion.” '
“Eh?” exclaimed Peterkin. “Describe her to
us.”
The scout did so as well as he could.
“As sure as we live,” cried Peterkin, “it is our
friend Njamie, and the child must be her boy!
Come, show us the little fellow.”
We all ran out and followed the scout to his hut.
where we found his wives—for he had three of
them—nursing the child as tenderly as if it had
been their own. It was very much wasted, evi—
dently through want of food and over fatigue, but


A mscovnnv. 337
we instantly recognised the once sturdy little son of
Njamie, in the faded little being before us. He, too,
recognised us, for his bright spectral eyes opened
wide when he saw us.
“ I knew it,” said I.
“I told you so,” cried Peterkin. “ Now, Mak,
pump him, and let’s hear what he knows.”
The poor child was far too much exhausted to
undergo the pumping process referred to. He could
merely answer that Njamie, and Okandaga, and
Mbango were prisoners in the camp, and then turned
languidly away, as if he desired rest.
“Poor boy,” said Peterkin, tenderly, as he laid
his hand gently on the child’s woolly pate. “Tell
them, Mak, to look well after him here, and they
shall be paid handsomely for—nay” (here be inter-
rupted himself), “ don’t say that. ’Tis a bad thing to
offer to pay for that which people are willing to do
for love.”
“Right, lad,” said Jack; “we can easily make
these poor folk happy by giving them something
afterwards, without saying that it is bestowed be-
cause of their kindness to the boy. The proper re-
ward of diligent, successful labour is, a prize; but
the best reward of love and kindness, is, a warm,
hearty recognition of their existence. Just tell them,
Mak, that we are glad to see them so good and at-
22


OBSERVATIONS ON DIVISION.
tentive to thellittle chap. And now, my generals, if
it is consistent with your other engagements, I would
be glad to have a little private consultation with
you.”
“Ready and willing, my lord,” said Peterkin, as
we followed Jack. towards the king’s palace. “ But,”
he added, seriously, “ I don't like to be a general of
division at all.”
“ Why not, Peterkin 'Q”
“Why, you see, when I was at school I found
division so uncommonly difficult, and suffered so
much mentally and physically in the learning of it,
that I have a species of morbid antipathy to the
very name. I even intend to refuse a seat in parlia-
ment, when offered to me, because of the divisions
that are constantly going on there. If you could
only make me a general of subtraction, now or—”
“That,” interrupted Jack, “were easily done, by
deducting you from the force altogether, and com-
manding you to remain at home.”
“ In which case,” rejoined Peterkin, “I should
have to become general of addition, by re-volunteer—
ing my services, in order to prevent. the whole ex-
pedition from resolving itself into General Muddle,
whose name and services are well known in all
branches of military and civil service.”
“So that,” added Jack, “it all comes to this, that


340 JACK SPEECHIFIES.
made in a cool, quiet, and arbitrary manner by Jack,
to whom the natives, including the king, looked up
with a species of awe amounting almost to venera-
tion.
“ Now,” said our commander-in-chief to Lieuten-
ant Mak, “ tell the niggers I am going to make them
a speech” (this was received with a grunt of satisfac-
tion), “ and that if they wish to have the smallest
chance of overcoming their enemies, they had better
give their closest attention to what I have to
say.”
Another grunt, of acquiescence, followed this an-
nouncement.
'- “Say that I am going to speak to them of things
so mysterious, that they shall not by any conceivable
or possible effort understand them.”
This, being quite in accordance with the supersti-
tions and tastes of the negroes, was received with
eager acclamations of delight.
“Tell them,” continued Jack, in a deep, solemn
tone, and frowning darkly, “that we shall gain the
victory only through obedience. Each man must
keep his ears open and his eye on his leader, and
must obey orders at once. If the order ‘ Halt ’
should be given, and any man should have his
mouth open at the time, he must keep his mouth
open, and shut it after he has halted.”


NEW STYLE or DRILL. 341
Here Jack took occasion to revert to the three
orders, “Forward,” “Halt,” and “Fire,” and repeated
the lesson several times, until his men were quite
perfect. Then he put the various bodies under their
respective commanders, and telling the musketeers
to make believe to fire (but making sure that they
should not really do it by taking their guns from
them), he made each of us give the various words
separately, so that our men should become familiar
with our voices.
This done, he called the generals of divisions to
him, and said :—
“Now, gentlemen, I am going to review my
troops, and to give them their final lesson in mili-
tary tactics, with the double view of seeing ,that
they know what they have got to do, and of im-
pressing them with a due sense of the great advan-
tage of even a slight knowledge of drill.”
He then directed us to take command of our
several companies (Makarooroo being placed on this
occasion over the king’s band), and pointed out the
separate directions in which we were ultimately to
post our troops, so as to advance upon the spot on
which the king stood when the signal should be
given. We had already taught the men the neces-
sity of attacking in a compact single line, and of
forming up into this position from what is termed


342 NEW STYLE or DRILL.
Indian file, with which latter they were already
acquainted. Of course we could not hope to teach
them the principles of wheeling, in the short time at
our command. To overcome this difficulty, we told
each band to follow its leader, who should walk in
front; to advance when be advanced, to retire when
he retired, and to turn this way or that way accord-
ing to his movements.
At a signal we gave the word “Forward!” and the
whole band defiled into the woods before the king,
and disappeared like a vision, to the unutterable
amazement of his majesty, who stood perfectly
motionless, with eyes and mouth open to their fullest
extent.
Having marched together for some distance, each
leader detached his men, and led them, as it were,
to opposite directions of the compass, three of the
bands making a considerable detour in order to get
the spot where the king stood in the centre of us.
Then we halted and awaited the next signal. In
about ten minutes it was given—a loud whistle—-
and we gave the word “Forward” again. I say “we,”
because the result proved that we had done so.
Being out of sight of the other bands, of course I
could not see how they acted.
On I rushed over brake and bush and morass, my
men following me in a very good line considering the


NEW STYLE 0F DRILL. 343
nature of the ground. I had divided them into four
lines, with an interval of about six yards between
each. And it was really wonderful how well they
kept in that position. The other companies had
been ordered to act in the same way.
On bursting out of the woods I saw that we had
outstripped the other companies, so I held my men
in check by running somewhat slower; and they had
been so deeply impressed with the fatal conse-
quences of not doing exactly as I did, that they
stared at me with all their eyes, to the no small risk
of their lives, for one or two dashed against trees,
and others tumbled head over heels into holes in
their anxiety to keep their eyes upon me.
In a few seconds I observed Peterkin spring out
of the woods followed by his men, so I went on again
at full speed. As we entered the village, our ranks
were sadly broken and confused by the huts, but on
gaining the open space where Jack stood, I was
pleased to observe that the negroes tried, of their
own accord, to regain their original formation, and
succeeded so well, that we came on in four tolerany
straight and compact lines. Each commander hav-
ing been forewarned to hold his men in check, or to
push forward, so as to arrive at the central point at
the same moment, Jack, Peterkin, Makarooroo, and
I ran in upon the king together, and unitedly gave


344 NEW STYLE or DRILL.
the word “Halt I” whereupon we found ourselves in
the centre of a solid square.
So deeply had the men been impressed with the
necessity of obedience, that they had scarcely ob
served each other’s approach. They now stood
rooted to the ground in every possible attitude of
suddenly arrested motion, and all with their eyes
and mouths wide open. In another moment the
result of their combined movement became evident
to them, and they uttered a yell of delighted sur-
prise.
“Very good, very good, indeed,” said Jack; “and
that concluding yell was very effective—quite mag-
nificent. But you see,” he added, turning to me,
“ although such a yell is sufficiently appalling to us,
it will no doubt be a mere trifle to men who are
used to it. What say you to teaching them a
British cheer ?”
“Absurd,” said I; “they will never learn to give.
it properly.”
“ I don’t know that,” rejoined Jack, in a doubtful
manner.
“Try,” said Peterkin.
“ So I will. Mak, tell them now that I’m going
to continue the speech which this little review inter-
rupted.”
“ They’s all ready for more, massa.”


THE BRITISH CHEER. 34.5
This was patent to the meanest capacity, for the
negroes stood gazing at their commander-in-chief
with eyes and mouths and ears open, and nostrils ex-
panded, as if anxious to gulp in and swallow down
' his words through every organ.
“ There is a cry,” said Jack, “which the white man
gives when he enters into battle—a terrible cry,
which is quite difi'erent from that of the black man,
and which is so awful that it strikes terror into the
heart of the white man’s enemies, and has even
been known to make a whole army fly almost with-
out a shot being fired. We shall let you hear it.”
Thereupon Jack and I and Peterkin gave utter—
ance to a cheer of the most vociferous description,
which evidently filled the minds of the natives with
admiration.
“ Now,” resumed Jack, “ I wish my black warriors
to try that cheer—”
Some of the black warriors, supposing that the ex-
pression of this wish was a direct invitation to them
to begin, gave utterance to a terrific howl.
“ Stay! stop !” cried Jack, holding up his hand.
Every mouth was closed instantly.
“ You must cheer by command. I will say ‘Hip,
hip, hip!’ three times; as soon as I say the third
hip, out with the cry. Now then,——Hip, hip—”
“ ’Popotamus,” whispered Peterkin.


346 THE BRITISH CHEER.
“' Hip I hurrah 2” shouted Jack.
“ Hurll ho! sh ! kee! howl” yelled the savages,
each man giving his own idea of our terror-inspiring
British cheer.
“ That will do,” said Jack quietly; “ it is quite evi-
dent that the war-cry of the white man is not suited
to the throat of the black. You will utter your usual
shout, my friends, when the signal is given, but, re-
member, not before that.
“ And now, I come to the greatest mystery of all.”
(Every ear was eagerly attentive.) “The shot and bits
of metal and little stones with which King J ambai’s
warriors are accustomed to kill, will not do on this
great and peculiar occasion. They will not answer
the purpose—my purpose ; therefore I have pro-
. vided a kind of bullet which every one must use in-
stead of his usual shot. No warriors ever used such
bullets in the fight before. They are very precious,
because I have only enough of them to give one to
each man. But that will do. If the enemy does
not fly at the first discharge, then you may load with
your own shot.” >
So saying, Jack, with the utmost gravity, took
from the pouch that hung at his side a handful of
little balls of paper, about the size of a musket bullet,
which he began to distribute among the savages.
\Ve had observed Jack making several hundreds of


nxrnsonnmany BULLETS. 347
these the night previous to this memorable day out
of one or two newspapers we had carried along with
us for wedding; but he would not at that time tell
us what he was going to do with them. The
negroes received this novel species of ammunition with
deep interest and surprise. Never having seen
printed paper before, or, in all probability, paper of
any kind, they were much taken up with the mys-
terious characters imprinted thereon, and, no doubt,
regarded these as the cause of the supernatural power
which the bullets were supposed to possess.
“ Remember,” said Jack, “when these are dis-
charged at the enemy, I do not say that they will
'kill, but I do say that they will cause the enemy to
fly. Only, be assured that everything depends on
your obedience. And if one single stone, or nail, or
hard substance is put in along with these bullets,
the chief part of my plans will be frustrated.”
It was quite evident, from the expression of their
sable countenances, that the idea of the bullets not
killing was anything but agreeable. They were too
deeply impressed, however, with Jack’s power, and
too far committed in the enterprise, and, generally,
too much overwhelmed with mingled surprise and
perplexity, to offer any objection.
“ Now,” said Jack in conclusion, “ you may go and
eat well. To-night, when it grows dark, hold your-


WARNINGS AND cannons. 349
nance into horrible contortions, indicative of the most
excruciating agony, and wound up with an emphatic
repetition of that dire threat about the unnatural
treatment of eyes, heart, liver, and carcass, which
had on the previous evening sounded so awful in our
ears, and had been treated with such profound indif-
ference by those whom it was specially designed to
affect.
“ I didn’t know, Jack,” observed Peterkin gravely,
as we returned to our hut, “ that you were such an
out-and-out humbug.”
“You are severe, Peterkin; I scarcely deserve to
be called a humbug for acting to the best of my judg-
ment in peculiar circumstances.”
“ Peculiar circumstances l” responded Peterkin.
“ Truly they have received peculiar treatment I”
“ That is as it should be,” rejoined Jack; “ at any
rate, be they peculiar or be they otherwise, our plans
are settled and our mode of action fixed, so we must
e’en abide the issue.” -


DISPOSITION or own FORCES. 351
ferred to were Peterkin’s hundred musketeers, sup-
ported by Jack’s spear and bowmen. I was ordered
to advance by a circuitous route on the camp itself
with my fifty musketeers, followed by my small
company of spearmen. My instructions were, to con-
ceal my men as near to the camp as possible and
there await the first discharge of fire- arms from the
dell, when I was to rise; advance upon the camp;
utter a terrific shout when within fifty yards; rush
forward to within twenty—five yards; halt; pour in
one withering volley of blank cartridge, and charge
without giving my men time to load.
Of course I could not speak to my men; but this
was a matter of little consequence, as they were now
well acquainted with our three words of command,
“Forward,” “Halt,” and “Fire ;” and fully understood
that they must under all circumstances follow their
leader. I knew well enough that there must be no little
danger in this arrangement, because the leader would
necessarily be always in front of the muzzles of the
loaded guns. But there was no help for it, so I re-
solved to act upon my usual principle, namely, that,
when a thing is inevitable, the best thing to do is
to treat it as being unavoidable.
Having conducted my men stealthily and success-
fully to the vicinity of the enemy’s camp, thOugh
with some difficulty, owing to the almost impenetrable


352 THE ENEMY’s CAMP.
nature of the jungle through which we had to pass
in making the detour necessary to avoid falling in
with the attacking force, we proceeded to advance
to within as short a distance of it as possible without
running the risk of being discovered. This was not
difficult, for the men left to guard the camp, suppos-
ing, no doubt, that their presence in that part of
the country was not suspected, had taken no pre-
cautions in the way of placing sentries, so we quickly
arrived at the foot of a small mound about sixty
yards or so from the encampment. At the foot of
this mound I caused my men to lie down, giving
them to understand, by signs, that they were on no
account to move until I should return. Then I crept
alone to the brow of the mound and obtained a clear
view of the camp.
The men who should have guarded it were, I
found, busily employed in cooking their supper.
There were, perhaps, upwards of a hundred of them.
To my great satisfaction I observed the captives sit-
ting near to the fire; and, although at so considerable
a distance from them, I felt certain that I recognised
the figures of Mbango and Okandaga. Hastening
back to my men, I endeavoured to give them as
much information as possible by means of signs, and
then lay down beside them to await the signal from
Jack’s party.


run MAIN BODY. 353
Although the attack of both our parties was to be
simultaneous, the first shot was to be fired by our
troops in the dell, I will therefore describe their part
of the engagement first. Jack described it to me
minutely after all was over.
On reaching the dell, Jack disposed his forces so
as to command the only approach to it. The hun-
dred musketeers he placed in a double row directly
across the deepest and darkest part. The spearmen
he divided into two bodies, which he posted on the
flanks of the musketeers among the bushes. He
then showed the rear rank of the latter how to point
their pieces over the shoulders of the men in the
front rank at a given signal, but carefully reiterated
the order not to touch a trigger until the word “Fire”
should be given.
“ Now, Peterkin,” said Jack, when these disposi~
tions had been made, “ it is time for you to get
ready. Makarooroo and I can manage these fellows,
so you have my permission to go and play your own
independent part. Only let me warn you to remem-
ber your last exploit in this way, and see that you
don’t do yourself a damage.”
“ Thanks, noble general, for the permission,”
answered Peterkin, “ of which I shall avail myself.
In reference to your advice, I may remark that it is
exceedingly valuable; so much so, indeed, that I
23


354 FETERKIN AGAIN Av DEMON.
would advise you not to part with it until asked
for.”
With that Peterkin ran into the jungle, and was
soon lost to view. ‘
On gaining a suflicient distance from the men, he
took off the greater part of his clothes, and wound
round his person several pieces of light-coloured cot—
ton that he chanced to have with him, and some
pieces of old newspaper. Then he decked his head
with leaves and ragged branches, as he had done
before in the haunted cave, making himself, in short,
as wild and fantastic a locking creature as possible;
the only difference between his getting-up on this
and the former occasion being that he was white
instead of black. For he wisely judged that awhite
demon must naturally appear infinitely more appall-
ing and horrible to a negro than one of his own
colour.
The two cones of moistened powder, however,
which he had prepared for this occasion were very
much larger than the former, and had been fitted
into two wooden handles, or cups, for safety. With
these in his hands, he crept to the top of a steep
sloping mound or hill near the entrance to the dell,
and considerably in advance of the troops Here he
sat down to await the approach of the enemy.
There is something very eerie and awe-inspiring in


PETERKIN AGAIN A DEMON. 355
a solitary night-watch, especially if it be kept in a
wild, lonesome place. Peterkin afterwards told me
that, while sitting that night on the top of the
mound, looking out upon a plain, over which the
enemy were expected to approach, on the one hand,
and down into the dark dell where our troops were
posted, on the other hand, his heart more than once
misgave him; and he could not help asking himself
the questions, “ What if our plans miscarry l—what
if our united volley and cheer and my demoniac dis-
play should fail to intimidate the negroes’l” Such
questions he did not like to dwell upon, for he knew
that in the event of failure a regular pitched battle
would be fought, and much blood would certainly
flow.
While indulging in such thoughts, he observed a
dark form glide past the foot of the mound on which
he lay, and vanish in the obscurity of the dell, which
was so surrounded by crags and rocky places covered
with underwood, that no light could penetrate into
it. At first he was startled, and thought of giving
the alarm to his comrades; but on second thoughts
he concluded the person must have been one of his
own scouts returned with news; at all events, he
felt that one man could do no harm worth speaking
of to so large a party.
Presently he observed a large band of men coming


356 APPROACH or run ENEMY.
over the plain towards the entrance of the dell.
These, he felt assured, must be the enemy; and he
was right. They came on in a large, compact body,
and were well armed; yet, from the quick and un-
guarded manner of their approach, he could perceive
that they suspected no ambush.
They entered the dell in a confused, though solid
and silent body; and Peterkin could observe, by the
dim light, that they were led by one man, who
walked in advance, whom he rightly judged to be
the Portuguese slave-dealer.
The time for action had now come. He examined
the points of his powder-cones, to ascertain that they
were dry; then held a match in readiness, and listened
intently to the footsteps of the foe.
I have already explained that Jack had drawn his
musketeers across the dell, and placed the spearmen
in the jungle on both flanks. They were arranged
in such a way as to form three sides of a square,
into which the unsuspecting enemy now marched.
Jack allowed them to approach to within thirty
paces of his musketeers, and then gave, in a loud,
deep, sonorous tone, the word—
“Hip! hip! hip!”
The compound cheer and yell that instantly fol-
lowed the last hip was so tremendous, coming, as it
did, from all sides exc:pt the rear, that the enemy


THE amnusn. 357
were absolutely paralyzed. They stood rooted to
the earth as motionless as if they had been trans-
formed into stone.
Jack raised his hand, in which he held a- bunch
of white grass that could be distinctly seen in the
dark.
Every muzzle was pointed on the instant, but not
a. sound was heard save the click of a hundred looks.
The sound was familiar to the enemy, although
never before heard at one moment in such numbers.
They started, but before a step could be taken, the
word “ Fire!” was given.
Instantly a. sheet of flame swept across the entire
dell, and the united crash of a hundred guns seemed
to rend the very earth. The surrounding cliffs
reverberated and multiplied the horrid din, while,
led by Jack, cheer followed cheer, or rather howls
and yells filled the air and kept awake the echoes of
the place.
The enemy turned and fled, and the shrieks to
which they gave utterance as they ran betokened
the extremity of their terror. It wanted but one
touch to complete their consternation, and that touch
was given when Peterkin, lighting his powder-cones,
showed himself on the mound, dancing in a blaze of
fire, and shrieking furiously as the horrified tide of
men swept by.


MORE TROUBLES. 361
sorrow, that we had done the thing only too vigor-
ously, for we had not only put the enemy to flight,
but we had also frightened away those whom we had
come to deliver 1
At this point in the engagement I came to learn
how incompetent I was to command men in cases of
emergency, for here my presence of mind utterly
forsook me. In my anxiety to capture Mbango and
his friends, I ordered an immediate pursuit. Then
it occurred to me that, in the event of my men being
successful in overtaking the fugitives, they would
instantly murder them all; so I tried to call them
back; but, alas! they did not understand my words,
and they were by this time so excited as to be
beyond all restraint. In a few minutes I found
myself left alone in the enemy’s camp, and heard the
shouts of pursued and pursuers growing gradually
fainter and more distant, as they scattered themselves
through the jungle.
Seating myself by the fire in a state of mind bor-
dering on despair, I buried my face in my hands, and
endeavoured to collect myself, and consider what,
under the circumstances, should be now done.


362 MORE mournss.
CHAPTER XXI.
annsxcnmsnrs ron runsuruc THE ENEMY, AND sunnnu
cusses or PLANS.
“YOU seem to be taking it easy, old boy," said a
voice close to my elbow.
I started, and looked up hastily.
“Ah ! Peterkin. You there?”
“Ay; and may I not reply, with some surprise,
you here ?”
“Truly you may; but what could I do? The
men ran away from me, whether I would or no;
and you are aware I could not make myself under-
stood, not being able to—. But where is Jack ?”
I asked this abruptly, because it occurred to me
at that moment that he and Peterkin should have
been together.
“ \Vhere is Jack 1” echoed Peterkin; “I may ask
that of you, for I am ignorant on the point. He
and I got separated in endeavouring to escape from
the scrimmage caused by your valiant attack. You
seem to have scattered the whole force to the winds.
Oh, here he is, and Mak along with him.”
Jack and our guide came running into the camp
at that moment.
“ Well, Ralph, what of Okandaga ?”


MORE TROUBLES. 363
“Ah! what of her indeed?” said Peterkin. “I
forgot her. You don’t mean to say she was not in
the camp ’i ”
“ Indeed she was,” said I ; “and so was Mbango,
and his wife Njamie, and one or two others whom I
did not know ; but my men went at them with such
ferocity that they fled along with our enemies.”
“ Fled i” cried Jack.
“Ay; and I fear much that it will fare ill with
them if they are overtaken, for the men were wild
with excitement and passion.”
“ Come, this must be looked to,” cried Jack, seiz-
ing his rifle, and tightening his belt; “we must
follow, for if they escape our bands they will cer-
tainly be retaken by their former captors.”
We followed our comrade, without further remark,
in the direction of the fugitives; but although we
ran fast and long, we failed to come up with them.
For two hours did we dash through bush and brake,
jungle and morass, led by Makarooroo, and lighted
by the pale beams of the moon. Then we came to
a halt, and sat down to consult.
“Dem be gone,” said our wretched guide, whose
cup of happiness was thus dashed from his hand, just
as he was about to raise it to his lips.
“ Now don’t look so dismal, Mak,” cried Peterkin,
slapping the man on the shoulder. “You may


WE RETURN vrc'romous. 365
part of our men assembled; and so well-timed had
Jack’s movements been, that not one of them all had
been able to overtake or slay a single enemy. Thus,
by able generalship, had Jack gained a complete and
bloodless victory.
Having detached and sent off our scouts, who,
besides being picked men, travelled without any
other encumbrance than their arms, we resumed our
journey homeward, and reached the village not long
after sunrise, to the immense surprise of Jalnbai,
who could scarcely believe that we had routed the
enemy so completely, and whose scepticism was fur-
ther increased by the total, and to him unaccount-
able, absence of prisoners, or of any other trophies
of our success in the fight. But Jack made a
public speech, of such an elaborate, deeply mysteri-
ous, and totally incomprehensible character, that even
Makarooroo, who translated, listened and spoke with
the deepest reverence and wonder; and when he had
concluded, there wasevidently a firm impression on
the minds of the natives that this victory was—by
some means or in some way or other, quite inexpli-
cable, but highly satisfactory—the greatest they had
ever achieved.
The king at once agreed to J ack’s proposal that a
grand pursuit should take place, to commence the
instant news should be brought in by the scouts.


CHANGE or PLANS. 367
itself pretty strong evidence that they did not mean
to return to their now desolated village, seeing
that the country behind them is swarming with
enemies; and of course they cannot know that we
have conquered the main body of these rascals. I
therefore propose that we should procure a canoe and
follow them; first, because we must at all hazards
get hold of poor Okandaga, and relieve the anxiety
of our faithful guide Makarooroo; and second, be-
cause it is just as well to go in that direction as in
any other, in order to meet with wild animals, and
see the wonders of this land.”
“ But what if King Jambai takes it into his black
woolly head to decline to let us go?” said Peterkin.
“ In that case we must take French leave of him.”
“In which case,” said I, in some alarm, “all my
specimens of natural history will be lost.”
Jack received this remark with a shake of his
head, and a look of great perplexity; and Peterkin
said, “ Ah ! Ralph, I fear there’s no help for it. You
must make up your mind to say good-bye to your
mummies—big puggies and all.”
“But you do not know,” said I, energetically,
“ that J ambai will detain us against our will.”
“ Certainly not,” replied J aok ; “ and for your
sake I hope that he will not. At any rate 1 will go
to see him about this point after supper. It’s of no


368 CHANGE or runs.
use presenting a petition either to king, lord, or
common while his stomach is empty. But there is
another thing that perplexes me,—that poor sick
child, Njamie’s son, must not be left behind. The
poor distracted mother has no doubt given him up
for lost It will be like getting him back from the
grave.”
“True,” said I, “ we must take him with us. Yet
I fear he is too ill to travel, and we cannot await
his recovery.”
“ He is not so ill as he seemed,” observed Peter-
kin. “ I went to see him only half an hour ago, and
the little chap was quite hearty, and glad to see me.
The fact is, he has been ill-used and ill-fed. The
rest and good treatment he has received have, even
in the short time he has been here, quite revived
him.”
“Good,” said Jack; “then he shall go with us.
I’ll engage to take him on my back when heknocks
up on the march—for we have a march before us,
as I shall presently explain—and when we get into
a canoe, he will be able to rest.”
“ But what march do you refer to ?” I asked.
“Simply this. Mak, with whom I have had a
good deal of conversation on the subject, tells me
that the river makes a considerable bend below this
village, and that by taking a short cut of a day’s


CHANGE OF PLANS. 369
journey or so over land, we can save time, and will
reach a. small hamlet where canoes are to be had.
The way, to be sure, is through rather a wild country;
but that to us is an advantage, as we shall be the
more likely to meet with game. I find, also, that
the king has determined to follow the same route
with his warriors in pursuit of the enemy, so that
thus far we may travel together. At the hamlet he
will diverge to the north-east, while we, if all goes
well, embarking in our canoe, will proceed toward
the west coast, where, if we do not overtake them
on the way, we shall be certain to find them on our
arrival. Okandaga has often longed to go to the
mission station there, and as she knows it is in vain
to urge Mbango to return to his destroyed village,
she will doubtless advise him to go to the coast.”
“\Vhat you say seems highly probable,” said I;
“and I think the best thing you can do is to go to
the king at once, and talk him over.”
“Trust Jack for that,” added Peterkin, who was
at that moment deeply engaged with what he called
the drumstick of a roast monkey. “Jack would
talk over any creature with life, so persuasive is his
eloquence. I say, Ralph,” he added, holding the
half-picked drumstick at arm’s length, and regarding
it with a critical gaze, “I wonder, now, how the
drumstick of an ostrich would taste. Good, I have
24


PETERKI'N' DESPAIRS OF US.
no doubt, though rather large for one man’s
dinner.”
“ It would be almost equal to gorilla ham, I should
fancy,” said Jack, as he left the but on his errand to
the king.
“ 0 you cannibal, to think of such a thing,” cried
Peterkin, throwing the bone of his drumstick after
our retreating comrade. “ But ’tis always thus,” he
added with a sigh; “man preys upon man, monkey
upon monkey. Yet I had hoped better things of
Jack. I had believed him to be at least a refined
species of gorilla. I say, Ralph, what makes you
look so lugubrious 2” '
“ The difficulties, I suppose, that beset our path,”
said I sadly; for, to say truth, I did not feel in a
jesting humour just then. I was forced, however,
in spite of myself, to laugh at the expression of
mingled disgust and surprise that overspread the
mobile countenance of my friend on hearing my
reply.
“ ‘The difliculties,’ ” echoed he, “ ‘ that beset our
path I’ Really, Ralph, life will become insupportable
to me if you and Jack go on in this fashion. A man
of nerve and sanguine temperament might stand it,
but to one like me, of a naturally timid and leaning
nature, with the addition of low spirits, it is really
crushing—quite crushing.”


JACK omoomis THE KING. 371
I laughed, and replied that he must just submit
to be crushed, as it was impossible for Jack and me
to change our dispositions to suit his convenience;
whereupon he sighed, lighted his pipe, and began to
smoke vehemently.
In the course of little more than an hour Jack
returned, accompanied by Makarooroo, and from the
satisfied expression of their faces, I judged that they
had been successful.
“ Ah 1 I see—it’s all right,” said Peterkin, raising
himself on one elbow as they entered the hut and
seated themselves beside the fire. “Old J ambai has
been ‘talked over.’ ”
“Right; but he needed a deal of talk; he was
horribly obstinate,” said Jack.
“ Ho, yis; ho 1 ho I horribubly obsterlate,” added
Makarooroo, in corroboration, rubbing his hands and
holding his nose slily over the bowl of Peterkin’s
pipe in order to enjoy, as it were, a second-hand
whiff.”
“ Here, there’s a bit for yourself, old boy. Sit
‘ down and enjoy yourself while Jack tells us all
about his interview with royalty,” said Peterkin,
handing a lump of tobacco to our guide, whose eyes
glistened and white teeth gleamed as he received the
much prized gift.
Jack now explained to us that he had found the


372‘ JACK OVERCOMES THE KING.
king in a happy state of satiety, smoking in his very
curious and uneasy-looking easy-chair; that he had
at first begged and entreated him (Jack) to stay and
take command of his warriors, and had followed
up his entreaties with a hint that it was just pos-
sible he might adopt stronger measures if entreaty
failed.
To this J aek‘ replied in a long speech, in which he
pointed out the impossibility of our complying with
the king’s request under present circumstances, and
the absolute necessity of our returning at some period
or other to our native land, to tell our people of the
wonders we had seen in the great country of King
J ambai. Observing that his arguments did not make
much impression on the king, he brought up his re-
serve force to the attack, and offered all the remain--
der of our goods, as a free gift, to his majesty—
stipulating only that he (the king) should, in consi-
deration thereof, carefully send our boxes of speci-
mens down to the coast, where the messengers, on
arriving, should be handsomely paid if everything
should arrive safely and in good order.
These liberal offers had a visible influence on the
sable monarch, whose pipe indicated the state of his
mind pretty clearly—thin wreaths of smoke issuing
therefrom when he did not sympathize with Jack’s
reasoning, and thick voluminous ‘clouds revolving


JACK ovaneom THE KING. 373
about his woolly head, and involving him, it were,
in a veil of gauze, when he became pleasantly im-
pressed. When Jack made mention of the valuable
gifts above referred to, his head and shoulders were
indistinctly visible amid the white cloudlets; and,
when he further offered to supply him with a
few hundreds of the magical paper balls that had
so effectually defeated his enemies the day before,
the upper part of his person was obliterated alto—
gether in smoke.
This last offer of Jack’s we deemed a great stroke
of politic wisdom, for thereby he secured that the
pending war should be marked by the shedding of
less blood than is usual in such cases. He endea-
voured further to secure this end by assuring the
king that the balls would be useless for the purpose for
which they were made if any other substance should
be put into the gun along with them ; and that they
would only accomplish the great end of putting the
enemy to flight if fired at them in one tremendous
volley at a. time when the foe had no idea of the pre-
sence of an enemy.
All things being thus amicably arranged, we re-
tired to rest and slept soundly until day-break,
when we were awakened by the busy sounds of pre-
paration in the village for the intended pursuit.
We, too, made active arrangements for a start,


JOURNEY TO THE COAST BEGUN. 375
CHAPTER XXII.
WE MEET WITH A LUDICROUSLY A‘VFUL ADVENTURE
THE day following that on which we set out from
King J ambai’s village, as narrated in the last chap-
ter, Jack, Peterkin, Makarooroo, Njarnie’s little boy,
and I, embarked in a small canoe, and bidding adieu
to our hospitable friends, set out on our return
journey to the coast.
’We determined to proceed thither by another
branch of the river, which would take us through a
totally new, and, in some respects, different country
from that in which we had already travelled, and
which, in the course of a few weeks, would carry us
again into the neighbourhood of the gorilla country.
One beautiful afternoon, about a week after part-
ing from our friends, we met with an adventure, in
which the serious and the comic were strangely
mingled. Feeling somewhat fatigued after a long
spell at our paddles, and being anxious to procure a
monkey or a deer as we had run short of food, we
put ashore, and made our encampment on the banks
of the river. This done, we each sallied out in dif-
ferent directions, leaving Makarooroo in charge of the
camp.


376 our HUNTING.
For some time I wandered about the woods in
quest of game, but, although I fired at many animals
that were good for food, I missed them all, and was
unwillingly compelled to return empty-handed. On
my way back, and while yet several miles distant
from the camp, I met Jack, who had several fat
birds of the grouse species hanging at his girdle.
“ I’m glad to see that you have been more success-
ful than I, Jack,” said I, as we met.
“Yet I have not much to boast of,” he replied.
“It is to be hoped that Peterkin has had better luck.
Have you seen him ? ”
“ No ; I have not even heard him fire a shot.”
“Well, let us go on. Doubtless he will make his
appearance in good time. What say you to follow-
ing the course of this brook? I have no doubt it
will guide us to the vicinity of our camp, and the
ground immediately to the left of it seems pretty
clear of jungle.”
“Agreed,” said I; and for the next ten minutes
or so we walked beside each other in silence. Sud-
denly our footsteps were arrested by a low peculiar
noise.
“ Hark ! is that a human voice ? ” whispered Jack,
as he cocked his rifle.
“ It sounds like it,” said I.
At the same moment we heard some branches in


PETERKIN’S new FRIEND. 377
an opposite direction crack, as if they had been
broken by a heavy tread. Immediately after, the
first sound became louder and more distinct. Jack
looked at me in surprise, and gradually a peculiar
smile overspread his face.
“ It's Peterkin,” said I, in a low whisper.
My companion nodded, and, half-cocking our
pieces, we advanced with slow and cautious steps
towards the spot whence the sound had come. The
gurgling noise of the brook prevented us from hear-
ing as well as usual, so it was not until we were
close upon the bushes that fringed the banks of the
streamlet, that we clearly discerned the tones of
Peterkin’s voice in conversation with some one, who,
however, seemed to make no reply to his remarks.
At first I thought he must be talking to himself;
but in this I was mistaken.
“ Let’s listen for a minute or two,” whispered'my
companion, with a broad grin.
I nodded assent, and, advancing cautiously, we
peeped over the bushes. The sight that met our
eyes was so irresistibly comic that we could scarcely
restrain our laughter.
On a soft grassy spot, close to the warbling stream,
lay our friend Peterkin, on his breast, resting on his
elbows, and the forefinger of his right hand raised.
Before him, not more than six inches from his nose,


378 PETERKIN’S nnw FRIEND.
sat the most gigantic frog‘I ever beheld, looking in-
ordinately fat and intensely stupid. My memory
instantly flew back to the scene on the coral island,
where Jack and I had caught our friend holding a
quiet conversation with the old cat, and I laughed
internally as I thought on the proverb, “the boy is
the father of the man.”
“ Frog,” said Peterkin, in a low, earnest voice, at
the same time shaking his finger slowly and fixing
his eyes on the plethorie creature before him, “ Frog,
you may believe it or not as you please, but I do
solemnly assure you that I never did behold such a.
great, big, fat monster as you are in all—my—life 1
what do you mean by it?”
As the frog made no reply to this question, but
merely kept up an incessant puffing motion in its
throat, Peterkin continued,—
“Now, frog, answer me this one question, —-and
mind that you don’t tell lies—~y0u may not be aware
of it, but you can’t plead ignorance, for I now tell
you that it is exceedingly wicked to tell lies, whether
you be a frog, or only a boy. Now, tell me, did you
ever read ‘ {Esop’s Fables? ’ ”
The frog continued to pufi', but otherwise took no
notice of its questioner. I could not help fancying that
it was beginning to look sulky at being thus catechized.
“ What, you won’t speak 1 well, I’ll answer for


378 I’ETERKIN’S NEW FRIEND.
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380 PETERKIN'S new FRIEND.
This last exclamation was caused by the frog
making a lazy leap to one side, tumbling heavily
over on its back, and rolling clumsily on to its legs
again, as if it wished to escape from its tormentor,
but had scarcely vigour enough to make the effort.
Peterkin quietly lifted it up and placed it deli-
berately before him again in the same attitude as
before.
“ Don’t try that again, old boy," said he, shaking
his finger threatenineg and frowning severely, “ else
I’ll be obliged to give you a poke in the nose. I
wonder now, frog, if you ever had a mother, or if
you only grew out of the earth like a plant. Tell
me, were you ever dandled in a mother’s arms. Do
you know anything of maternal affection, eh ’4
Hum'ph! I suspect not. You would not look so
besottedly stupid if you did. I tell you what it is,
old fellow, you’re uncommonly bad company, and
I’ve a good mind to ram my knife through you, and
carry you into camp to my friend Ralph Rover,
who’ll skin and stuff you to such an extent that
your own mother wouldn’t know you, and carry you
to England, and place you in a museum under a
glass case, to be gazed at by nurses, and stared at by
children, and philosophized about by learned profes-
sors—hullo! none 0’ that now. Come, poor beast,
I didn’t mean to frighten you. There, sit still, and


n
rnrenxm’s NEW FRIEND. 381
don’t oblige me to stick you up again, and I’ll not
take you to Ralph.”
The poor frog, which had made another attempt
to escape, gazed vacantly at Peterkin again without
moving, except in regard to the pufling before re-
ferred to.
“Now, frog, I’ll have to bid you good afternoon.
I’m sorry that time and circumstance necessitate our
separation, but I’m glad that I have had the plea-
sure of meeting with you. Glad and sorry, frog, in
the same breath! Did you ever philosophize on that
Is it possible, think you, to be glad and
sorry at one and the same moment. No doubt a
creature like you, with such a very small intellect,
point ? eh!
if indeed you have any at all, will say that it is not
But I know better.
call hysterics?
possible. Why, what do you
Aint that laughing and crying at
once @--—sorrow and joy mixed? I don’t believe you
understand a word that I say, you great puffing
blockhead, what are you staring at ’Q”
The frog, as before, refused to make any reply,
so our friend lay for some time chuckling and mak-
ing faces at it. While thus engaged he happened
to look up, and to our surprise as well as alarm,
we observed that he suddenly turned as pale as
death.
To cock our rifles, and take a step forward, so as to


382 A suarmsn.
obtain a view in the direction in which he was gaz-
ing with a fixed and horrified stare, was our imme-
diate impulse. The object that met our eyes on
clearing the bushes, was indeed well calculated to
strike terror into the stoutest heart, for there, not
three yards distant from the spot on which our
friend lay, and partially concealed by foliage, stood
a large black rhinoceros. It seemed to have just
approached at that moment, and had been suddenly
arrested, if not surprised, by the vision of Peterkin
and the frog. There was something inexpressibly
horrible in the sight of the great block of a head,
with its mischievous looking eyes, ungainly snout,
and ponderous horn, in such close proximity to our
friend. How it had got so near without its heavy
tread being heard I cannot tell, unless it were that
the noise of the turbulent brook had drowned the
sound.
But we had no time either for speculation or
contemplation. Both Jack and I instantly took
aim, he at the shoulder, as he afterwards told me,
I at the monster’s eye, into which, with, I am bound
to confess, my usual precipitancy, I discharged both
barrels.
The report seemed to have the effect of arousing
Peterkin out of his state of fascination, for he sprang
up and darted towards us. At the same instant


\
A SURPRISE. 383
the wounded rhinoceros crossed the spot which he
had left with a terrific rush, and bursting through
the bushes, as if it had been a great rock falling
from a mountain cliff, went headlong into the rivulet.
Without moving from the spot on which we stood,
we re-charged our pieces with a degree of celerity
that, I am persuaded, we never before equalled.
Peterkin at the same time caught up his rifle
which leaned against a tree hard by, and only a
few seconds elapsed after the fall of the monster
into the river, ere we were upon its banks ready for
another shot.
The portion of the bank of the stream at this
spot happened to be rather steep, so that the rhino-
ceros on regaining his feet experienced considerable
difficulty in the attempts to clamber out, which he
made repeatedly and violently on seeing us emerge
from among the bushes.
“ Let us separate,” said Jack, “ it will distract his
attention.”
“Stay, you have blown out his eye, Ralph, I do
believe,” said Peterkin.
On drawing near to the struggling monster we
observed that this was really the case. Blood
streamed from the eye into which I had fired, and
poured down his hideous jaws, dyeing the water in
which he floundered.


384 A CONFLICT.
“Look out,” cried Jack, springing to the right in
order to get on the animal’s blind side as it succeeded
in effecting a landing.
Peterkin instantly sprang in the same direction,
while I bounded to the opposite side. I have never
been able satisfactorily to decide in my own mind
whether this act on my part was performed in con-
sequence of a sudden, almost involuntary, idea that
by so doing I should help to distract the creature’s
attention, or was the result merely of an accidental
impulse. But whatever the cause, the effect was most
fortunate, for the rhinoceros at once turned towards
me, and thus, being blind in the other eye, lost sight
of Jack and Peterkin, who with the rapidity almost
of thought leaped close up to its side, and took close
aim at the most vulnerable parts of its body. As
they were directly opposite to me, I felt that I ran
some risk of receiving their fire. But before I had
time either to reflect that they could not possibly
miss so large an object at so short a distance, or to
get out of the way, the report of both their heavy
rifles rang through the forest, and the rhinoceros fell
dead almost at my feet.
“ Hurrah !” shouted Peterkin, throwing his cap
into the air at this happy consummation, and sitting
down on the haunch of our victim.
“Shame on you, Peterkin,” said I, as I reloaded


386 a mode n'rr.
“ By the way,” cried Peterkin, starting up and
looking around the spot on which his interesting
‘tete-a-tete' had taken place; “ where is the frog?
It was just here that —. Ah!—Oh!—Ohl poor,
poor frog !
‘ Your course is run, your days are o'er,
We'll never have a chat no more,’
as Shakspeare has it. Well, well, who would
have thought that so conversable and intelligent
a creature should have come to such a melancholy
end i”
The poor frog had indeed come to a sad and sudden
end, and I felt quite sorry for it, although I could
not help smiling at my companion’s quaint manner of
announcing the fact.
Not being gifted with the activity of Peterkin, it
had stood its ground when the rhinoceros charged,
and had received an accidental kick from the great
foot of that animal which had broken its back and
killed it outright. .
“ There’s one comfort, however,” observed Jack, as
we stood over the frog’s body, “ you have been
saved the disagreeable necessity of killing it your-
self, Ralph.”
This was true, and I was not sorry that the rhino-
ceros had done me this service, for, to say truth, I
have ever felt the necessity of killing animals in cold


NATURALISTIC THOUGHTS. 387
blood to be one of the few disagreeable points in the
otherwise delightful life of a naturalist. To shoot
animals in the heat and excitement of the chase, I
have never felt to be particularly repulsive or diffi—
cult; but the spearing of an insect, or the deliberate
killing of an unresisting frog are duties which I
have ever performed with a feeling of deep self-
abhorrence.
Carefully packing my frog in leaves, and placing
it in my pouch, I turned with my companions to
quit the scene of our late encounter and return
to our camp, on arriving at which we purposed
sending back Makarooroo to cut off the horn of the
rhinoceros, for we agreed that, as it was impossible
to carry away the entire carcass, we ought at least
to secure the born as a memorial of our adventure.


388 _ A REMARKABLE APE.
CHAPTER XXIII.
WE SEE STRANGE THINGS, AND GIVE OUR NEGRO FRIENDS
THE SLIP.
DURING the two following days we passed through a
country that was more thickly covered with the India-
rubber vine than any place we had before met with in
our African travels. I could not help feeling regret
that such a splendid region should be almost, if not
altogether, unknown and useless to civilized man.
There seemed to be an unlimited supply of caoutchouc;
but the natives practised a method of gathering it
which had the effect of destroying the vine.
One day, some weeks after this, we came upon
the habitation of a most remarkable species of
monkey, named the Nshiego Mbouvé, which we had
often heard of, but had not up to that time been so
fortunate as to see. Being exceedingly anxious to
observe how this remarkable creature made use of
its singular house, Peterkin and I lay down near the
place, and secreting ourselves in the bushes, patiently
awaited the arrival of the monkey, while Jack went
off in anotherdirection to procure somethingfor supper.
“I don’t believe he’ll come home to—night,” said
Peterkin, after we had lain down. “People never
do come in when any one chances to be waiting for


PETERKIN 1s PHILOSOPHICAL. 389
them. The human race seems to .be born to dis-
appointment. Did you ever notice, Ralph, how
obstinately contrary and cross-grained things go
when you want them to go otherwise?”
“I don’t quite understand you,” said I.
“ Of course you don’t. Your’s seems to be a mind
that can never take anything in unless it is hammered
in by repetition.”
“Come, now, Peterkin, don’t become, yourself, an
illustration of your own remark in reference to cross-
grained things.”
“Well, I won’t. But, seriously, Ralph, have you
not observed, in the course of your observant life,
that, when you have particular business with a man,
and go to his house or office, you are certain to find
him out—t0 use the common phrase. It would be
more correct, however, to say ‘you are certain not to
find him in.’ ”
“You are uncommonly particular, Peterkin.”
“Truly I had need to be so, with such an uncom-
monly stupid audience.”
“Thank you. Well?”
“Well, have you never observed that if you have
occasion to call at a house where you have never
been before, the number of that particular house is
not in its usual place, and you find it after a search
quite away from where it ought to be? Has it


392 A NARROW ESCAPE.
put his foot on what appeared to be the dead branch
of a tree. N o sooner had he done so, than the curl-
ing folds of a black snake fully ten feet long scattered
the dry leaves into the air, and caused us both to
dart aside with a yell of terror.
I have thought that in the complicated and won-
derful mechanism of man, there lies a species of almost
involuntary muscular power, which enables him to
act in cases of sudden danger with a degree of prompt
celerity that he could not possibly call forth by a
direct act of volition. At all events, on the present
emergency, without in the least degree knowing
what I was about, I brought my gun from my
shoulder into a horizontal position, and blew the
snake’s head off almost in an instant.
I have pondered this subject, and, from the fact
that, while at one time a man may be prompt and
courageous in case of sudden danger, at another time
the same man may become panic~stricken and help-
less, I have come to the conclusion that the all-wise
Creator would teach us—even the bravest among us
-—the lesson of our dependence upon each other, as
well as our dependence upon Himself, and would have
us know that while at one time we may prove a
tower of strength and protection to our friends, at
another time our friends may have to afford succour
and protection to us.


A NARROW ESCAPE. 393
I have often wondered, in reference to this, that
many men seem to take pride in bold independence,
when it is an obvious fact that every man is de-
pendent on his fellow, and that this mutual
dependence is one of the chief sources of human
happiness.
The black snake which I had killed turned out to
be one of a very venomous kind, whose bite is said
to be fatal, so that we had good cause to be thank-
ful, and to congratulate ourselves on our escape.
In this region of Africa we were particularly for-
-tunate in what we saw and encountered, as the nar-
rative of our experiences on the day following the
above incidents will show.
We had scarcely advanced a few miles on our
journey on the morning of that day, when we came
upon a part of the country where the natives had
constructed a curious sort of trap for catching wild
animals; and it happened that a large band of
natives were on the point of setting out for a grand
hunt at that time.
We were greeted with immense delight on our
arrival, for those natives, we soon discovered, had
already heard of our exploits in the lands of the
gorilla, and regarded us as the greatest hunters that
had ever been born. After a short conversation
with the chief, through the medium of Makarooroo,
5


394 A STRANGE HUNT.
we arranged to rest there a day and accompany them
on their hunting expedition, and, the better to secure
their good-will, we presented some of the head men
with a few of the beads which we still possessed.
Then, hauling our canoe out of the water, we pre-
pared ourselves for the chase.
After a long and tedious march through some-
what dense jungle, we came upon the ground, which
was partly open, partly clothed, with trees and
shrubs. Here the natives, who numbered several
hundreds, spread themselves out in a long semi-
circular line in order to drive the game into the
trap.
As we followed them, or rather formed part of the
line, I overheard the following conversation between
Peterkin and Makarooroo, who chanced to be to-
gether.
“ Now Mak,” said the former, examining the caps
of his rifle, “explain to me what sort of trap this is
that we’re coming to, and what sort of brutes we may
expect to find in it.”
“De trap, massa,” replied our faithful follower,
drawing the back of his hand across his mouth, “de
trap am be call hopo ” .
“Called what-o ? ” inquired Peterkin.
“H0100.”
“ Oh ! go on.”


A CURIOUS TRAP. 395
" An’ hims be made 0b great number ob sticks
tumble down—an’ hole at de end ob dat, an’ de
beasties dat goes in be zebros, elosphants, eelands,
bufi'los, gafi's, nocrices, noos, an’ great more noders
0b which me forgit de names.”
“ Oh I you forgit de names, do you?”
“ Yis, massa.”
“ Ah! it wouldn’t be a great loss, Mak, if you
were to forget the names of those you remember.”
The conversation was interrupted at this point by
the appearance of a bufi'alo, which showed that we
were drawing near to the scene of action. But as
Makarooroo’s description is not remarkable for
lucidity, I may explain here that the hopo, or trap,
consists of two parts; one part may be termed the
conducting hedges, the other the pit at their termi-
nation, and into which the game is driven. The con-
ducting hedges are formed in the shape of the letter
V. At the narrow extremity there is a narrow lane,
at the end of which is the terminating pit. This pit
is about eight feet deep and fifteen feet broad, and its
edges are made to overlap in such a way, that once
the animals are in it, they have no chance whatever
of getting out again. The surface of the pit is con-
cealed by a thin crust of green rushes, and the hedges
are sometimes a mile long, and nearly the same width
apart at the outer extremities.


396 A cvmors TRAP.
‘Ve were still at a considerable distance from the
outer ends of the hedges, when the natives spread
out as above described, and I am convinced that our
line extended over at least four miles of ground
The circle of course narrowed as they advanced,
shouting wildly in order to drive the game into the
enclosure.
That the country was teeming with game soon
became apparent, for ever and anon as we advanced,
a herd of gnus, or buffaloes, or harte-beests would
dart afi'righted from their cover, and sweep over the
open ground into another place of shelter, out of
which they were again driven as the line advanced.
In the course of half-an-hour we drove out harte—
beests, zebras, gnus, buffaloes, girafl‘es, rhinoceroses,
and many dther kinds of smaller game, either singly
or in herds.
“Now, lads,” said Jack, approaching Peterkin and
me as we walked together, “it is quite evident that
if we wish to see this sport in perfection we must
get outside the hedge, and run along towards the
pit, for there, in the natural course of things, we
may expect the grand climax. What say you ; shall
we go ? ”
“ Agreed,” said I.
“ Ditto,” cried Peterkin.
So without more words we turned aside, followed


A WILD SCENE. 397
by Makarooroo, leaped the hedge, and, running down
along it, soon reached the edge of the pit.
Here we found a number of the natives assembled
with spears, looking eagerly through the interstices
of the hedges in ekpectation of the advancing herds.
We took up our stand on a convenient spot, and pre-
pared to wait patiently. But our patience was not
severely tried. We had not been more than five
minutes stationed when the noise of the closing line
was heard, and a herd of buffaloes dashed wildly out
from a small piece of jungle in which they had
sought shelter, and galloped over the plain towards
us. Suddenly they halted, and stood for a moment
snufl'ing the air, as if uncertain what to do, while we
could see even at that distance that every muscle of
their bodies trembled with mingled rage and terror.
Before they could decide, a herd of guns burst from
the same place, and presently a dozen zebras galloped
out, tossing up their heels and heads in magnificent
indignation. These last scattered and approached
the hedges, which caused several natives to dart into
the enclosure, who from beneath the shelter of oval
shields as large as themselves, threw their spears
with unerring certainty into the sides of the terrified
creatures.
At this moment there was a general rush from the
scattered groups of trees and clumps of jungle, for


BLOODY WORK. 399
swerve from our side so violently, that they bore
down the other side, until I began to fear the hedge
would give way altogether; but they were met by
the spears and the furious yells of the natives there,
and again swept on towards the narrow lane.
And now the head of the bellowing mass came to
the edge of the pit. Those in front seemed to sus-
pect danger, for they halted suddenly ; but the rush
of those behind forced them on. In another moment
the thin covering gave way, and a literal cataract of
huge living creatures went surging down into the
abyss.
The scene that followed was terrible to witness;
and I could not regard it with other than feelings of
intense horror, despite my knowledge of the fact that
a large tribe of natives depended on the game then
slain for their necessary food. The maddened animals
attempted to leap out of the pit, but the overlapping
edges already referred to effectually prevented this
until the falling torrent filled it up, then some of them
succeeded in leaping out from off the backs of their
smothered comrades. These, however, were quickly
met and speared by the natives, while ever and anon
the great mass was upheaved by the frantic struggles
of some gigantic creature that was being smothered
at the bottom.
While this scene of wholesale destruction was going


400 A DISCOVERY.
on, Makarooroo came up to me and begged me, with
mysterious looks, to follow him out of the crowd.
I obeyed, and when we had got away from the
immediate neighbourhood of the turmoil, I said,—
“ Well, Mak, what’s wrong?”
“De chief, massa, hims tell me ’few moments ago
(lat canoe wid Mbango and oomans hab pass dis way
to-worrow.”
“ To-morrow I ” I exclaimed.
“ No, me forgit, hah pass yistumday.”
“Indeed I”
“ Yis, an' de chief hims say hims want us to stop
wid him and go hunt for week or two. Praps he no
let us go way.”
“ That’s just possible, Mak. Have you told Jack?”
“N0, massa.”
“ Then go, bring him and Peterkin hither at once."
In a few minutes my companions were with me,
and we held a brief earnest consultation as to what
we should do.
“I think we should tell the chief we are anxious
to be off at once, and leave him on good terms,"
said I.
Peterkin objected to this. “No,” said he, “ we
cannot easily explain why we are anxious to be off
so hastily. I counsel flight. They won’t find out
that we are gone until it is too late to follow.”


:rnr: PURSUIT. 403
“Stop! stay!” cried Peterkin, hastily; “I didn’t
mean a war-yell, I meant a yell of—of peace.”
“Me no hab a yell ob peace,” said Makarooroo,
with a look of perplexity.
“ I should not suppose you had,” observed Jack
with a quiet laugh, as he dipped his paddle more
energetically than ever into the stream; “the fact is,
Peterkin, that we shall have to go in for a long chase.
There is no doubt about it. I see that there are at
least four men in their canoe, and if one of them is
Mbango, as we have reason to believe, a stout and
expert arm guides them. But ho! give way! ‘never
venture, never win.’ ”
With that we all plied our paddles with our utmost
might. The chase soon became very exciting. Ere
long it became evident that the crews of the two
canoes were pretty equally matched, for we did not,
apparently, diminish the distance between us by a
single inch during the next half hour. ,
“ What if it turns out not to be Mbango and his
party, after all?” suggested Peterkin, who wielded his
light paddle with admirable efl'ect.
Jack, who sat in the bow, replied that in that
case we should have to make the best apology and
explanation we could to the niggers, and console our-
selves with the consciousness of having done our best.
For some time the rapid dip of our paddles and


404 THE PURSUIT.
the rush of our canoe through the water were the
only sounds that were heard. Then Peterkin spoke
again. He could never keep silence for any great
length of time.
“I say, Jack, we’ll never do it. If we had only
another man, or even a boy.” (Peterkin glanced at
Njamie’s little son, Who lay sound asleep at the
bottom of the boat.) “NO, he won’t do. We might
as well ask a mosquitoe to help us.”
“ I say, lads, isn’t one of the crew of that canoe a
woman 2” said Jack, looking over his shoulder, but
not ceasing for an instant to ply his paddle.
“ Can’t tell,” answered Peterkin; “ what say you,
Mak l”
1“ Ye-is, massa,” replied the guide with some
hesitation. “Me tink dat am be one ooman’s arm
what wag de paddil. Oh! yis, me sartin sure now.
Dat am a ooman.”
“That being the case,” observed Jack, in a tone
of satisfaction, “the chase won’t last much longer, for
a woman’s muscles can’t hold out long at such a pace.
H0! give way once more.”
In less than five minutes the truth of Jack’s remark
became apparent, for we began rapidly to overhaul
the fugitives. This result acted with a double effect ;
while it inspirited us to additional exertion, it
depressed those whom we were pursuing, and so


THE PURSUIT. 405
rendered them less capable than before of contending
with us. There was evidently a good deal of excite-
ment and gesticulation among them. Suddenly the
man in the stern laid down his paddle, and stooping
down seized a gun, with which, turning round, he
took deliberate aim at us.
“ That’s rather awkward,” observed Jack, in a cool,
quiet way, as if the awkwardness of the case had no
reference whatever to him personally.
We did not, however, check our advance. The
man fired, and the ball came skipping over the water
and passed Us at a distance of about two yards.
“ Hum! I expected as much,” observed Jack ;
“when a bad shot points a bad gun at you, your
best plan is to stand still and take your chance. _In
such a case the chance is not a bad one. Hallo! the
rascal seems about to try it again. I say, boys, we
must stop this.”
We had now gained so much on the fugitives that
we had reason to hope that we might by signs'enable
them to understand that we were not enemies. We
had to make the attempt rather abruptly, for, as J aek
uttered his last remark, the man in the stern of the
canoe we were chasing, having reloaded his gun,
turned round to aim at us again. At the same time
the rest of the crew suddenly ceased to paddle in
order to enable their comrade to take a steady aim.


406 A CRITICAL MOMENT.
It was evident that they rested all their hopes upon
that shot disabling one of our number, and so
enabling them to escape. Seeing this, Makarooroo in
desperation seized his rifle and levelled it.
“No, no,” said Peterkin, hastily holding up his
hand; give me your rifle, Mak; and yours, Ralph ;—
now then, ,stop paddling for a moment ; I’ll try an
experiment.”
So saying, he sprang to his feet, and grasping a
rifle in each hand, held them high above his head,
intending thus to show that we were well armed, but
that we did not intend to use our weapons.
The device was happily successful; the man in the
other canoe lowered the gun with which he was in
the act of taking aim at us.
“ Now, boys, paddle slowly towards the bank,”
cried Peterkin, laying down the rifles quickly and
standing erect again with his empty hands extended
in the air, to confirm the fugitives in regard to our
good intentions. They understood the sign, and also
turned toward the bank, where in a few minutes both
parties landed, at the distance of about two hundred
yards from each other.
“ Mak, you had better advance alone,” said Jack ;
“ if it is Mbango and his friends, they will know you
at once. Don’t carry your rifle. You won’t need it.”
“Nay, Jack,” I interposed, “you do not act with


PUGGY. 407
your usual caution. Should it chance not to be
Mbango, it were well. that Mak should have his rifle
and a companion to support him.” i
“0 most sapient Ralph,” said Peterkin, “ don’t
you know that Jack and I have nothing to do but
sit down on this bank each with a double-barrel in
his hand, and if anything like foul play should be
attempted, four of the enemy should infalliny bite
the dust at the same time? But you’d better go
with Mak, since you’re so careful of him. We will
engage to defend you both. Hallo, Puggy! take the
line of our'canoe here and fasten it to yonder bus .”
The latter part of this remark was addressed to
Njamie’s little boy, whose name we had never learned,
and who had been called Puggy by Peterkin—not,
let me remark, in anything approaching to a con-
temptuous spirit. He evidently meant it as a title
of endearment. We had tacitly accepted it, and so
had the lad, who for some time past had answered
to the name of Puggy, in utter ignorance, of course,
as to its signification.
Mak and I now advanced unarmed towards the
negroes, and in a few seconds we mutually recognised
each other. I was overjoyed to observe the well-
known face of Okandaga, who no sooner recognised
her lover than she uttered a joyful shout and ran
towards him. I at the same time advanced to Mbango,


410 HAPPY MEETING.
I w0uld not have missed that sight for the world.
I know not very well what my thoughts were at the
time, but the memory of that scene has often since,
in my musings, filled me with inexpressible gladness;
and in pondering the subject, I have felt that the'
witnessing of that meeting has given additional force
to the line in Scripture wherein the word “love”
alone is deemed sufficiently comprehensive to describe
the whole character of the Almighty.
Here, on the one hand, I beheld unutterable,
indescribable woe; on the other hand, unutterable,
inconceivable joy; both, I should suppose, in their
extremest degree, and both resulting from pure and
simple love. I pondered this much at the time. I
have pondered it often since. It is a subject of
study which I recommend to all who chance to read.
this page.


cossumxrroxs. 41 1
CHAPTER XXV.
I HAVE A DESPERATE ENCOUNTER AND A NARROW' ESCAPE.
THE happiness that now beamed in the faces of
Makarooroo, Okandaga, and Njamie, was a sufficient
reward to us for all the trouble we had taken, and
all the risk we had run on their account. Poor
Njamie was exceedingly grateful to us. She sought
by every means in her power to show this, and
among other things, hearing us call her son by the
name of Puggy, she at once adopted it, to the
immense amusement and delight of Peterkin.
After the first excitement of our meeting had sub-
sided somewhat, we consulted together as to what we
should now do. On the one hand, we were unwilling
to quit the scene of our hunting triumphs and
adventures; on the other hand, Makarooroo and his
bride were anxious to reach the mission stations on
the coast and get married in the Christian manner.
“ Our opposing interests are indeed a little per-
plexing,” said Jack, after some conversation had passed
on the subject. “No doubt, Mak, you and Mbango
with his friends might reach the coast safely enough
without us; but then what should we do without an
interpreter? ”


412 - DIFFICULTIES.
Our poor guide, whose troubles seemed as though
they would never end, sighed deeply and glanced at
his bride with a melancholy countenance as he
replied,—
“ Me’ll go wid you, massa, an’ Okandaga ’11 go to
cost an’ wait dere, for me come.” .
“ Ha!” ejaculated Peterkin, “ that’s all very well,
Mak, but you’ll do nothing of the sort. That plan
won’t do, so we’ll have to try again.”
“ I agree with you, Peterkin,” observed. Jack,
“that plan certainly will not do; but I cannot think
of any other that will, so we must just exercise a little
self-denial for once, give up all further attacks on the
wild beasts of Africa, and accompany Mak to the
coast.”
“ Could we not manage a compromise?” said I.
“What he a cumprumoise?” asked Makarooroo,
who had been glancing anxiously from one to the
other as we conversed.
Peterkin laid hold of his chin, pursed up his mouth,
and looked at me with a gleeful leer.
“ There’s a chance for you, Ralph,” said he ; “ why
don’t you explain?”
“ Because it’s not easy to explain,” said I, consider-
ing the best way in which to convey the meaning of
such a word—“ A compromise, Mak, is— is, a bargain,
a compact—at least so Johnson puts it—.”


DIFFICULTIES. 413
“Yes,” interposed Peterkin ; “so you see, Mak,
when you agree with a trader to get him an ele-
phant tusk, that’s a cumprumoise, according to J ohn-
son.”
“ No, no, Mak,” said I quickly, “Peterkin is talking
nonsense. It is not a bargain of that kind—it’s a —
a —. You know every question has two sides?”
“Yis, massa.”
“ Well, suppose you took one side.”
“ Yis.”
“And suppose I took the other side.”
“ Yis.” ,
“Then suppose we were to agree to forsake our
respective sides and meet, as it were, half way, and
thus hold the same middle course—”
“Ay, down the middle and up again; that’s it,
Mak,” again interrupted Peterkin, “that’s a cum-
prumoise. In short, to put it in another and a
clearer light, suppose that I were to resolve to hit
you an awful whack on one side of your head, and
suppose that Ralph were to determine to hit you a
frightful bang on the other side; then suppose that we
were to agree to give up those amiable intentions,
and instead thereof to give you, unitedly, one
tremendous smash on the place where, if you had one,
the bridge of your nose would be—that would be a
cumprumoise.”


NEW PLANS. 415
him with his nose,) “ that will be a cumprumoise.
. D’ye understand 2”
“Ho yis, massa, me compiperhend now.”
“ Exactly so,” said I, “that’s just it. There is a
branch of this river that takes a great bend away to
the north before it turns towards the sea; is there
not? I think I have heard yourself say so before
now.”
“ Yis, massa, hall right.”
“ Well, let us go by that branch. \Ve shall be a
good deal longer on the route, but we shall be always
nearing the end of our journey, and at the same
time shall pass through a good deal of new country,
in which we may hope to see much game.”
“Good,” said Jack; “you have wisdom with you
for once, Ralph—it seems feasible. What say you,
Mak? I think it a capital plan.”
Yis, massa, it am a copitle plan, sure ’nufi'.”
The plan being thus arranged and agreed to, we
set about the execution of it at once, and ere long
our two canoes were floating side by side down the
smooth current of the river.
The route which we had chosen led us, as I had
before suspected, into the neighbourhood of the gor-
illa country, and I was much gratified to learn from
Mbango, who had travelled over an immense portion
of south-western Africa, that it was not improbable
a.


41 6 A DISCOVERY.
we should meet ‘with several of those monstrous
apes before finally turning off towards the coast. I
say that I was much gratified to learn this; but I
little imagined that I was at that time hastening to-
wards a conflict that well-nigh proved fatal to me,
and the bare remembrance of which still makes me
shudder.
It occurred several weeks after the events just re-
lated. We had gone ashore for the purpose of hunt-
ing, our supply of provisions chancing at that time
to be rather low. Feeling a desire to wander
through the woods in solitude for a short time, I
separated from my companions. I soon came to
regret this deeply, for, about an hour afterwards, I
came upon the tracks of a gorilla. Being armed
only with my small-bore double rifle, and not being
by any means confident of my shooting powers, I
hesitated some time before making up my mind to
follow the tracks.
At first I thought of retracing my steps and ac-
quainting my comrades with the discovery I had made;
but the little probability there was of my finding
them within several hours, deterred me. Besides, I
felt ashamed to confess that I had been afraid to
prosecute the chase alone; so, after pondering the
matter a little, I decided on advancing. -
Before doing so, however, I carefully examinedthe
'I


AN AWFUL SIGHT. 417
caps of my rifle and loosened my long hunting-knife
in its sheath. Then I cautiously followed up the
track, making as little noise as possible, for I was
well aware of the watchfulness of the animal I was
pursuing.
The foot-prints at first were not very distinct,
but ere long I came on a muddy place where they
were deeply imprinted, and my anxiety was some—
what increased by observing that they were uncom-
monly large—the largest I had ever seen—and that,
therefore, they had undoubtedly been made by one
of those solitary and gigantic males, which are always
found to be the most savage.
I had scarcely made this discovery when I came
unexpectedly on the gorilla itself. It was seated at
the foot of a tree about fifty yards from the spot
where I stood—the space between us being com—
parativer clear of underwood. In an instant he ob—
served me and rose, at the same time giving utter-
ance to one of those diabolical roars which I have
before referred to as being so terrible.
I halted and felt an irresistible inclination to fire
at once; but remembering the oft-repeated warn—
ings of my companions, I restrained myself. At that
moment I almost wished, I freely confess, that the
gorilla would run away. But the monster had no
such intention. Again uttering his horrible roar, he
27


418 A HORRIBLE POSITION.
began slowly to advance, at the same time beating
his drum-like chest with his doubled fist
I nowelt that my hour of trial had come. I
must face the gorilla boldly, and act with perfect
coolness :——the alternative was death. As the hid-
eous creature came on, I observed that he was con-
siderably larger than the biggest we had yet seen;
but, strange to say, this fact made no deeper impression
upon me. I suppose that my whole mental and
nervous being was wound up to the utmost possible
state of tension. I felt that I was steady and able
to brave the onset. But I was not aware of the
severity of the test to which I was destined to be
subjected. Instead of coming quickly on and de-
ciding my fate at once, the savage animal advanced
slowly, sometimes a step or two at a time, and then
pausing for a moment ere \it again advanced. Some-
times it even sat down on its haunches for a second
or two, as if the weight of its overgrown body were
too much for its hind legs; but it did not cease all
that time to beat its chest, and roar, and twist its
features into the most indescribable contortions. I
suppose it took nearly five minutes to advance to
within twelve yards of me, but those five minutes
seemed to me an hour. I cannot describe the
mental agony I endured.
When within ten yards of me I could restrain


A FEARFUL ENCOUNTER. 419
myself no longer. I raised my rifle, aimed at its
- chest, and .fired. With a terrible roar it advanced.
Again I fired, but without effect, for the gorilla
rushed upon me. In despair, I drew my hunting-
knife and launched it full at the brute’s chest with
all my might. I saw the glittering blade enter it
as the enormous paw was raised to beat me down.
I threw up my rifle, to ward off the fatal blow, and
at the same moment sprang to one side, in the hope
of evading it. The stock of the rifle was shattered
to pieces in an instant, and the blow, which would
otherwise have fallen full on my head or chest was
diverted slightly and took effect on my shoulder, the
blade of which was smashed as I was hurled with
stunning violence to the ground. For one moment I
felt as if I were falling headlong down a precipice;
the next, I became unconscious.
On recovering, I found myself lying on my back
at the bottom of what appeared to be a large pit.
I must have lain there for a considerable time, for I
"elt cold and stiff; and when I attempted to move,
my wounded shoulder caused me unutterable anguish.
I knew, however, that I must certainly perish if I
did not exert myself; so with-much difficulty I crept
out of the pit. The first object that met my eyes,
on rising to my feet, was the carcass of my late
antagonist; which, on examination, I found, though


422 CONCLUSION.
“ Farewell,” said I, as we leaned over the vessel’s
side and gazed sadly at the receding shore,—-“ fare—
well to you, kind missionaries and faithful negro
friends.”
“Ay,” added Peterkin, with a. deep sigh, “ and
fare-you-well, ye monstrous apes—gorillas, fare-you-
well 1”
TH E END.











UNIVERSITY OF lLLINOlS-UHBANA
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