IN AFRICAN FOREST AND JUNGLE 



I took Ndova on my knees and examined his 

 body, on which I discovered a red spot, showing 

 that he had been stung either by a scorpion or a 

 centipede. 



" Look ! *' I said to Rogala, pointing out the place 

 to him. " Ndova has been stung by a scorpion 

 or a centipede." 



" It is so," replied Rogala. 



There are two or three species of centipedes and 

 scorpions ; the very poisonous ones are dark red, 

 almost black. Rogala looked carefully at the red 

 spot, and then said in a thoughtful and sad voice : " I 

 am afraid it is all over with Ndova, for we black men 

 die of the sting of this bad kind of scorpion and cen- 

 tipede, or else, if we escape, we are very ill. Their 

 stings are often as dangerous as the bites of poisonous 

 snakes." 



I immediately gave a little dose of medicine to 

 Ndova, but it did not seem to do him any good. That 

 night we all went to sleep feeling very sad. 



At break of day I went to Ndova to see how he was. 

 I said, " Good-morning, Ndova," but he remained 

 quiet in his little house. He did not come out, as he 

 had always done before, and jump on my shoulder, and 

 give a chuckle, which probably meant in the monkey 

 language of the ndova tribe, " I am glad to see you." 



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