Chap. XVII. A MAN ACCIDENTALLY SHOT. 351 



men from the hostile village, arrayed in warrior's 

 attire and brandishing plantain-leaves over their 

 heads, came in. They said they had held their 

 palaver this morning and had decided not to let the 

 Oguizi pass ; there would be war if the Mouaou 

 people attempted to bring me. 



Kombo, who was seated by my side, told me to 

 hide myself in my hut, so as not to give the strangers 

 the pleasure of seeing me ; he then ordered my men 

 to make a demonstration with their guns to intimi- 

 date these vapouring warriors. I laughed as I saw 

 the men taking to their heels as soon as Igala 

 advanced towards them, firing his gun in the air. 

 But my men got excited, and hurrying forward into 

 the open space to fire their guns in the air, one of 

 the weapons loaded with ball went off before the 

 muzzle was elevated. I did not see the act ; but, 

 immediately after the report of the guns, I was 

 startled to see the Mouaou villagers, with affrighted 

 looks and shouts of alarm, running in all directions. 

 The king and his konde, who were both near me, 

 fled along with the rest. 



*' Mamo ! Mamo ! " (the untranslatable cry of an- 

 guish of these poor Africans) was now heard on all 

 sides. I rushed out, and not far from my hut saw, 

 lying on the ground, the lifeless body of a negro ; his 

 head shattered and the brains oozing from his broken 

 skull. Igalo ran to me with terrified looks, saying, 

 "Oh, Chailhe, I could not help it ; the gun went off I" 

 The infallible consequences of the deed flashed across 

 my mind. The distrust of my motives amongst these 

 people, which had only just been overcome, would 



