406 THE FOREST AND THE FIELD. 



dently the heads of the village, laid hold of her 

 and urged her to go near me. All was to no pur- 

 pose : she hid her face in her hands in abject fear, 

 and screamed with terror; so bidding Ponto to 

 remain quiet, I laid my rifle on the ground, and 

 walked towards her, holding out my hands to 

 show that I was unarmed. The men, although 

 they held their spears and knives in readiness, stood 

 their ground, but, after I had shaken hands with 

 two of the boldest of their number, they began to 

 find their tongues, and seemed to be assured that I 

 was only a human being, like themselves, after all. 



I then patted the cheek and shoulder of the 

 scared nymph who was offered as a scapegoat 

 between her tribe and myself; and although I do 

 not intend to disclose the means I used, gentle 

 reader, I soon convinced her that she had nothing 

 to fear from me, and that I did not intend to eat 

 her, which was evidently her first apprehension. 



I drew her towards me, and in order to relieve 

 any apprehensions she might entertain on that 

 head, I slung round her shoulder the small bag I 

 always carried on my person, containing a few 



