200 STANLEY FINDS THE LOST EXPLORER 



"I thank God, Doctor, I have been permitted to see you." 

 He answered, "I feel thankful that I am here to welcome you." 

 I turned to the Arabs, took off my hat to them in response to 

 the saluting chorus of "Yambos" I received, and the doctor intro- 

 duced them to me by name. Then, oblivious of the crowds, oblivious 

 of the men who shared with me my dangers, we — Livingstone and 

 I — turned our faces towards his house. He pointed to the veranda, 

 or rather, mud platform, under the broad overhanging eaves; he 

 pointed to his own particular seat, which I saw his age and exper- 

 ience in Africa had suggested, namely, a straw mat, with a goatskin 

 over it, and another skin nailed against the w^all to protect his back 

 from contact with the cold mud. I protested against taking this 

 seat, which so much more befitted him than me, but the doctor would 

 not yield; I must take it. 



A THRILLING NARRATIVE. 



We were seated — the doctor and I — with our backs to the wall. 

 The Arabs took seats on our left. More than a thousand natives 

 were in our front, filling the whole square densely, indulging their 

 curiosity, and discussing the fact of two white men meeting at 

 Ujiji — one just come from Manyuema, in the west, the other from 

 Unyanyembe, in the east. 



Conversation began. What about? I declare I have forgatten. 

 Oh ! we mutually asked questions of one another, such as : 



"How did you come here?" and ''Where have you been all this 

 long time? — the world has believed you to be dead." Yes, that was 

 the way it began; but whatever the doctor informed me, and that 

 W'hich I communicated to him, I cannot correctly report, for I found 

 myself gazing at him, conning the w^onderful figure and face of 

 the man at whose side I now sat in Central Africa. 



Every hair of his head and beard, every wrinkle of his face, 

 the wanness of his features, and the slightly wearied look he wore, 

 were all imparting intelligence to me — the knowledge I craved for 

 so much ever since I heard the words, "Take w'hat you want, but 

 find Livingstone." What I saw^ was deeply interesting intelligence 

 to me, and unvarnished truth. I was listening and reading at the 

 same time. What did these dumb witnesses relate to me? 



