IN AFRICAN FOREST AND JUNGLE 



village. Canoe after canoe was to be seen coming 

 from up or down the river all the time. 



Then a great meeting took place. Rotembo was 

 dressed in state, and made a great speech, saying how 

 much he loved me. The crowd shouted, " Great is 

 Rotembo, the friend of the Oguizi ! Great is the 

 Oguizi ! '' Tomtoms beat and guns were fired. 



Then I arose, and in the midst of a profound silence 

 I made a speech. " Rotembo," I said, " I love you 

 and your people. When I was hungry you gave me 

 food ; when I was thirsty you gave me water. You 

 gave me shelter and nothing was stolen from me.*' 

 At these words a great shout of joy arose. The tom- 

 toms beat furiously, and more guns were fired. 



" You gave me Rogala, your faithful slave,'' I con- 

 tinued ; " I bring him back to you. There are Shin- 

 shooko and Alapai also, your faithful slaves, who love 

 you. They with their wives and children have been 

 kind to me. There is Akenda-Mbani, whom we 

 found in the forest. Now, Rotembo, you are my 

 friend." (All shouted, " He is your friend ! ") 

 " Never let one of these men or their wives be sold." 



" I will never sell them," cried Rotembo. 



Then the great meeting broke up. Rotembo and his 

 people drank a great quantity of fermented drinks they 

 had made to celebrate my return. There was a grand 



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