IN AFRICAN FOREST AND JUNGLE 



ward. We soon came to a part of the forest where 

 there were many trees laden with the fruit Rogala had 

 mentioned. Soon we saw places where two nshiego- 

 mbouves had been eating the day before, and where 

 after their meal they had rested on their backs, side 

 by side. 



" See here,*' whispered Rogala ; " there they rested, 

 for they had eaten too much. They will remain in 

 this region for a few days, for they find plenty to eat." 



The others said : " We are sure to meet them if 

 we are patient, but the nshiego-mbouves are so shy 

 that we must be extremely careful not to raise their 

 suspicions, otherwise they will escape from us." 



At last Rogala gave a "cluck," stopped, and looked 

 at me. He put his finger upon his lips, a sign to keep 

 perfectly still ; then put his hands to his ears, which 

 meant " Listen." We heard the voices of two nshiego- 

 mbouves close to us. They were talking in a sort 

 of low tone or grunt. I looked at "Bulldog;" it 

 was all right. Rogala looked at the pan of his gun ; 

 it was closed. He raised it; the powder was there. 

 Then he closed it again. 



We advanced in the direction of the noise, when 

 suddenly Rogala stopped and made me a sign to lie 

 low on the ground. Then we crawled toward the 

 trunk of a big fallen tree. Rogala's quick ears had 



88 



