182 MAYOLO. Chap. IX. 



tliis long delay; I liave a heart, and Chaillie shall go 

 on. I know that some people, jealons of me, have 

 told you that I have palaver in the upper country ; 

 that I have taken their slaves on trust, and am in 

 debt to them ; but it is a lie. The people are afraid 

 of Chaillie ; we all know that he is a Spirit ; from the 

 time our fathers were born, his like has never been 

 seen. The news has spread that he brings disease 

 and death wherever he goes ; and so the people are 

 afraid of him. I have been ill, but it is not he that 

 has caused it, but other people who want to bewitch 

 me, because of the good things that he has given me. 

 I will go myself, in three or four days, to visit an 

 Apono chief, a friend of mine, and will tell him that 

 Chaillie eats like ourselves, drinks like ourselves, 

 that he plays with our children, talks to our women 

 and men, and does us good. I am Mayolo, and 

 Chaillie shall go on his way, and then his heart will 

 be glad." 



Then turning to me, he said : " During the days 

 you have to wait, take this goat and these two 

 bunches of plantains, and eat them. We shall soon 

 be on the long road, but I must feel the way first ; 

 we must do tilings little by little. You cannot catch 

 a monkey, unless you are very careful in going to 

 it." 



I answered one of their sayings. "If you had 

 said ' Wait, wait,' and I saw that 3'on w^ere not telling 

 me the truth, the goat you have just given me could 

 not be good, and I would have returned it to you, 

 for it would taste bitter ; but I believe you." 



Thus I had to content myself, whilst Mayolo was 



