CHAPTER XXIII 



WITCHCRAFT PROCEEDINGS OF THE BAKALAIS — TWO OF 

 THE CLASS " BEWITCHED "— A NEGRO ALBINO — 

 THE IDOL MAKAMBO — HER DREAD APPEARANCE — 

 RETURN TO CAMP — MONKEYS OVERRUN THE CAMP 

 — I DRIVE THEM OFF— ESCAPE OF NDOVA — HIS 

 UNEXPECTED RETURN 



THE Bakalais, like all the people of the great 

 forest, were very superstitious, and believed in 

 witchcraft. I found that the people had moved only 

 a few months before, and that they had abandoned 

 their former village on this account. Two men had 

 been " bewitched,'* and had died within a day of each 

 other, and this was the cause of the people moving 

 away. When I arrived, they were holding a great 

 council to find out who the sorcerers and witches 

 were, and whether they lived in their village or in 

 some others. 



At sunset the children ceased to play, and the vil- 

 lage became quiet. There arose in the air one of 

 those mournful, heart-piercing chants, — a long, sus- 

 tained wail of anguish and sorrow. Tears rolled down 

 the cheeks of the women. " We shall never see An- 



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