396 JOURNEY TO THE COAST. Chap. XIX. 



formidable to cross in the rainy season, was now 

 reduced to a mere shallow brook, with water reaching 

 only to the knee. We crossed it, and entered upon 

 the open prairie before it was yet quite light. I had 

 half a mind to proceed straight to Olenda and, 

 taking the inhabitants unawares, to seize some of the 

 principal tbieves of my property ; but on second 

 thoughts I judged it best to avoid the place alto- 

 gether, and cross the prairie to the village of my 

 friend Angouka. In our march we passed near to 

 the deserted village of my old enemy Mpoto, who 

 died of the small-pox during those terrible days of 

 February and March. My men looked upon the 

 abandoned cluster of huts as a place accursed, and 

 took care to give it a wide berth in passing. 



All the Ashira people whom we had seen since 

 leaving the slave-plantation the previous evening had 

 fled from us at the first sight, so that we held no 

 communication with any one till Angouka's men 

 came to meet us. We had fired guns on approaching 

 the village, and this was answered by a number of 

 the chief's people coming out of the grove which 

 surrounds the place, armed to the teeth, to see who 

 it was that was coming. When they recognised us 

 they could scarcely contain their joy. We were led 

 amid shouts of welcome to the house which Angouka 

 had built for me when he expected me to stay with 

 him on my outward march. Angouka has now a 

 feud with the Ademba clan (Olenda's) of his tribe ; 

 he hates them most bitterly ; he is a harsh-tempered 

 man, but has acted in the most loyal and friendly 

 way towards me, so that I cannot help liking him. 



