_ WHAT WE SAW. 211 
which would shelter us from any ordinary gaze, and whose 
heavy limbs would afford us comfortable rest.. These 
two trees were very close together. Querlaouen ascended 
one, and I ascended the other by the help of the lianas 
and creepers which hung from their branches to the 
eround. Our guns were slung on our backs. We nev- 
er uttered a word, but fixed ourselves as comfortably 
as we could, and in such manner that we could fire 
at our enemies if attacked. Malaouen looked at his 
gun. I did the same, and then petted my two re- 
volvers, as if to say, You, boys, are the good fellows for 
a true fight. 
We were as silent as two statues, waiting patiently for © 
something to turn up. 
At last we thought we heard voices in the far dis- 
tance, which we had at first taken for the chatter of 
monkeys. The noise came nearer and nearer, and we 
finally distinguished the sound of human voices. 
I got so excited that I could hardly breathe, and every 
beat of my heart became very distinct. 
At last we saw four stalwart fellows, tattooed all over, 
covered with hunting and war fetiches, armed to the teeth | 
with spears, and two of them carried Ashinga nets, with 
which they had been hunting on a small scale, and had | 
with them one gazelle (a ncheri). 
Suddenly coming to their canoe, they saw Querlaouen’s 
foot-prints, which threw them into a great state of excite- 
ment, when one of them pointed to the other, my foot- 
prints, saying, “‘ What are those marks? they must be the 
marks of a spirit!” They looked at them, and suddenly 
an uncontrollable panic seized the four, and they rushed 
for their canoe, seized their paddles, and went down the 
