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48 WILD LIFE UNDER THE EQUATOR. 
The day of the new moon when the evening comes a. 
strange kind of dread seems to seize these people. In 
all the tribes that day they mark their bodies with ochre, 
but I have never been able to find out the reason. To 
them the moon is the emblem of time. Hence, as the 
moon appears, many think that before it has disappear- 
ed again it will eat people; that is to say, that some one 
may die. . 
The fifth day I had been in that village, in the mid- 
dle of the night, I was awakened by the war-drum beat- 
ing, shouts of war, and a terrific uproar. Men and women 
were running to and fro, and all said the enemy was 
near. One man had been seen outside the palisade and 
when challenged had run away. “ Let them come!” 
they shouted, “let them come! We have the Spirit 
among us!” (meaning me). “Dare to come, and we will 
kill you all!” 
It was not a very pleasant situation to be in. I did 
not come to make war with one party or the other. 
The large Mbuiti was instantly brought out, and the peo- 
ple danced round it in the most strange and fantastic 
way; one by one the great Mbisho warriors came by. her, 
and sung songs to her—the idol was a woman. One 
warrior danced tremendously before her; he kicked his 
legs up and down one after the other, then put himself 
in the most supplicating posture, his two’ hands forward, 
and simply asked that he might kill every man that 
came to attack him. At last he got so excited that I 
thought he would go mad. His:eyes became wild, the 
foam came out of his mouth, the muscles on his face 
worked convulsively, he seized his spear with tremendous 
force, and his face looked like thatofademon. While he 
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