IN AFRICAN FOREST AND JUNGLE 



hiding-place, and a short time afterwards I stood 

 before the village gate and between the two idols. 

 I could hear numerous voices in the distance, some- 

 times shouts, and the beating of the tomtoms. I 

 judged that the people belonged to the Bakalai tribe. 



Then hearing the voices of two women inside close 

 to me, I said to them : " Please open the gate to the 

 Oguizi, who is your friend." 



When they heard me, they ran away ; but soon 

 three men came up and talking through the palisades, 

 asked who I was, for they could not see my face. 



I replied : " I am the Oguizi ; I come to see you." 



When they opened the gate, I found myself in 

 presence of three fierce-looking fellows, armed with 

 barbed spears, bows, and poisoned arrows. They were 

 tall and young and looked like warriors. Closing the 

 gate behind me, they looked at me with signs of awe, 

 and one of them said : " Are you the Oguizi who has 

 come to see the people of the forest ? " 



I answered, " I am." 



It was fortunate that I could talk the Bakalai lan- 

 guage. The three men told me to follow them. As 

 soon as the villagers got a glimpse of me there was a 

 great commotion ; the meeting was suspended, the 

 tomtoms beat with greater fury than before, and soon 

 I found myself surrounded by savage men. 



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