412 THE FOREST AND THE FIELD. 



tobacco, for all her friends, and that she must 

 treat him so well that he would buy many more 

 wives out of the tribe." This little arrangement, 

 however much in accordance with the custom of 

 the country, was more than I bargained for, so before 

 the matter went further I told the Bekelai to explain 

 to the king that he should now go back to the 

 village, and prepare me a house, where I would 

 join him in an hour. This I did to get rid of him 

 whilst I had my supper, for I had no intention of 

 eating food cooked in the cannibals' flesh-pots. 



Leaving four Kroomen to sleep in the boat, 

 Tom Dick and the rest of my people accompanied 

 me back to the village, where the best house in the 

 place was swept and garnished for my reception ; 

 so I had my hammock slung, and made prepara- 

 tions for passing the night comfortably ashore. 



I had the magic-lantern, with all its appurte- 

 nances, brought with me, as I intended to astonish 

 the cannibals with white man's fetish, in order to 

 impress them with a wholesome respect as to my 

 power in the occult science. The news of my 

 arrival had spread to the adjacent villages, and I 



