456 THE FOREST AND THE FIELD. 



M'pogola, who served as interpreter, told me 

 that several of the villagers knew of their usual 

 haunts, and that " plenty n'gina lib for bush." 

 The king sent out some of his people to look 

 for fresh trail, and, later in the evening, two 

 men came in with the intelligence that they 

 had seen four at no great distance from the 

 village. 



It was too late to do anything that evening, 

 but I made every preparation to start after them 

 early the next morning, and the whole village was 

 in a state of excitement, as most of the men 

 intended to accompany me. When the matter had 

 been talked over several times, we had a dance, 

 and I returned to my hut, where I found the 

 living evidence of African hospitality awaiting my 

 arrival. In this country the temporary loan of a 

 wife , sister or daughter is considered in somewhat 

 the same light as lending your guest an umbrella 

 or an overcoat in civilised life. 



The negro of Equatorial Africa seems fully to 

 believe in the sentiments thus expressed by 

 Shakspere : — 



