WILD LIFE UNDER THE EQUATOR. 
PRELIMINARY CHAPTER. 
DEAR young folks !—In the book I wrote for you last 
year, called “Stories of the Gorilla country,” I said to 
you “au revoir.” that means good-bye till I come again. 
I have come again to my publishers, who are also my 
good friends, and who have let me have my own way 
about the illustrations of this book; they have told me 
that you were pleased with the last book. Not only 
have they told me so, but many of you have said the 
same thing to me. | 
This was good news, for I delight to tell stories to 
young folks, and “Stories of the Gorilla Country ” being 
the first book I ever wrote for you, I was delighted to 
hear of its success. 
I felt quite happy when I learned that I had been 
able to interest you in what interested me, while travel- 
ling in far-distant countries. 
I have taken my pen once more. I am going to lead 
+ you into the great forest.of Equatorial Africa. I am 
