IN AFRICAN FOREST AND JUNGLE 



was busy breaking the koola nuts, when suddenly 

 he turned round and looked in our direction. Fortu- 

 nately we crouched in time by a fallen tree. Had he 

 heard us ^ We peeped above the tree. No, for 

 he again began to crack koola nuts, and was putting 

 the kernels in a little bag. We were within ten 

 yards of him. 



Suddenly, without a word of warning, Rogala 

 jumped up, crossed the stream, and uttered a terrific 

 war-cry, running towards the man. When I saw this, 

 I fired " Bulldog " and ran also towards him. The 

 poor fellow seemed to be spellbound and unable to 

 get up. As we came up to him, he took hold of 

 Rogala's feet, which meant that he put himself under 

 his protection, and looked at me with great terror. 

 He trembled all over, and could not utter a word. 



I looked at him and smiled, but this did not seem 

 to reassure him. Rogala spoke to him in several lan- 

 guages that he had learned from other slaves, but our 

 prisoner shook his head to show that he did not 

 understand. Then I spoke to him in several of the 

 languages I had learned, but he understood me no 

 better. Thereupon we made signs to try to find out 

 from where he came. At this he looked up, trying to 

 see from the light where the sun was. Then he 

 pointed in the direction of the east. 



167 



