Chap. IX. SEIZURE OP A HOSTAGE. IfJl 



which I desired. It inspired the Otando people with 

 fear and respect for us, and showed that, though few, 

 we were not to be trifled witli. 



I now turned to our little prisoner. Poor fellow ! 

 he was a mere boy, about twelve years of age, and 

 my heart felt for him as I heard his moans when 

 passing by the hut, for Eebouka had secured him so 

 tightly with cords that he could not move a limb. 

 He said to me, with tears in his eyes, " Oh, Chaillie I 

 you are my father's ^eat friend ; I am but a child, 

 and cannot run away. They will come back with all 

 your stolen things ; Mintcho told me so. Oh, Chaillie ! 

 I suffer so much. I am your boy. Did I not refuse 

 to leave you, but followed you to the Otando country ? 

 Do loosen the cords which hurt me so much." I 

 ordered Rebouka to slacken the cords, which he did, 

 but remonstrated terribly at my imprudence, telling 

 me that I wasted my pity on the boy ; that I did not 

 know negroes ; that negroes were not children at 

 that age. " Do you think," said he, " that a child 

 could have come from the Ngouyai to the Otando 

 country with the load this boy has carried ? " We 

 then secured him under the verandah of my hut, and 

 set a watch over him during the night. Mayolo also 

 urged me to keep a good look-out on the boy ; for then 

 all my property would be sure to come back to me. 



Rebouka was right. The cunning little fellow 

 escaped before the morning. He contrived to 

 wriggle free of the cords which bound him, and 

 fled whilst the guard was absent for a few moments. 

 His escape was a great loss to me, for, had I suc- 

 ceeded in keeping him, all the goods I had been 



