CHAPTER VII 



FIGHT BETWEEN MONKEY TRIBES, NKAGOS AND MONDIS 

 — MY GUN PUTS BOTH SIDES TO FLIGHT — A VISIT 

 FROM THE BASHIKOUAY ANTS — EVERYTHING FLIES 

 BEFORE THEM— WE DRIVE THEM OFF WITH FIRE- 

 BRANDS AND BOILING WATER 



1 LOVED to walk by myself in the great forest, 

 taking my smooth-bore gun for birds, with which 

 I always took a few bullets in case I should meet 

 some large animals. 



One day as I walked along looking at the butterflies 

 that were very plentiful on both sides of the path, I 

 thought I heard, at some distance, a noise among the 

 trees ahead as if monkeys were feeding. Cautiously 

 I went in the direction of the noise. I had to leave 

 the path and go through the jungle. I had to walk 

 slowly, with my body bent, in order to be hidden from 

 the monkeys and not to frighten them. 



When I got near the trees, I found that they were 

 nkagos feeding and uttering grunts of satisfaction, so 

 pleased were they. I could recognize the leader of 

 the troop on the lookout. Suddenly he gave a pe- 

 culiar cry or sound. The nkagos became verv much 

 4 49 



