IN AFRICAN FOREST AND JUNGLE 



plucked a few, and put them together on the ground, 

 and laid the meat of the nchombee upon them, say- 

 ing : " Olombo and Mombo, this nchombee is for 

 you. You know that I love you, and that I always 

 give you the best part of the game I kill." After this 

 sacrifice we returned to the camp. 



Soon after he entered the little house he had built, 

 taking his bag with him, and shut the door behind 

 him. I heard him speak to his idol. When he came 

 out, his body was painted here and there. In the 

 hollow of his chest was a white spot, in the middle 

 of his forehead a white line between his eyes, and 

 there were long white stripes along his arms. He 

 wore all the mondahs his bag contained. He came 

 towards me, and looking at me, said : " Oguizi, sunset 

 is soon coming, and I must go into the little house, 

 and I shall remain there until after sunrise. You 

 have plenty of firewood. You have meat. There 

 is plenty of water in the spring, so you will be neither 

 thirsty nor hungry." 



Before entering the house, he called aloud on the 

 spirits of his ancestors to watch over him, said good- 

 night to me, then disappeared into his little hut, and 

 shut the door so that the new moon could not possibly 

 see him. 



I found myself alone in the camp. Ndova and 



99 



