Chap. XIX. RETURN TO rLATEAU. 403 



had heard of this place, although he had a very indis- 

 tinct notion where it was — " I would leave the Rembo 

 and go and live with you. You have escaped the 

 plague and the arrows of the Ashangos ; you will 

 reach your land, but remember that your old friend 

 will always think of you." When I finally bade him 

 adieu, he tried to make me promise to come back 

 and stay with him. " Come again," he said, " and 

 go no more into the bush ; and when you come bring 

 me a big bell, a sword with a silver handle that will 

 not rust, and two chests, one of brass and another of 

 ebony, for I want to see how you work the wood that 

 w^e send to you." 



We arrived at my own place, " Plateau," on the 

 21st of September. It is impossible to describe 

 the joy which the people showed on seeing us all 

 come back in safety, for, with the exception of Igala's 

 wound in the leg which was still inflamed, discharg- 

 ing sometimes a good deal of matter, none of my 

 Commi boys was the worse for the journey they had 

 accomplished. 



In the evening of the day of our arrival, as I was 

 taking a solitary walk over the open prairie towards 

 the sea, the sister of Igala came to speak to me. 

 With tears coursing down her cheeks, she said, 

 " White man ! with a good heart you have taken 

 care of our people. You did not let them die of the 

 plague. On the day of fight you stood by them. 

 No wonder that we love you ; you are as one of our- 

 selves ; you do not drive us away from you." This 

 unaffected demonstration of gratitude, I must say, 



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