HUNTING AND HUNTED IN BELGIAN CONGO 



most of the things lying about into the boxes and sat up 

 waiting for the storm that I knew was coming. I had 

 not to wait long before the wind died down for a few 

 minutes and heavy drops of rain fell slowly, heralding 

 the approaching deluge which soon came, and then the 

 whole roof became like the rose of a watering-can. I took 

 good care to keep my matches and tobacco dry. Managing 

 to rig up the mosquito net I sat under it with water 

 pouring down all over me. Myriads of mosquitoes tried 

 to obtain access to the net in which I was sitting, 

 and not a few succeeded in doing so, much to my 

 discomfort. 



Often on a wet day I have sat down in the tent and 

 thoroughly enjoyed reading the advertisements of Lemco, 

 Sunlight Soap, etc., that are to be found wrapped round 

 these products. When alone on a wet day in the far 

 interior there is nothing much to do and reading the 

 pamphlets of various firms is one form of amusement 

 when far from a circulating library. 



I puffed at my pipe harder and harder, in the hopes 

 that the smoke might make them desist ; but it made 

 little difference, and I just had to sit it out. The red 

 glow from the tobacco was all that I could discern in the 

 darkness. In a few moments, however, the lightning 

 started again. Thunder crashed and rolled far away to 

 the west. I still stuck to the chair with a soaking blanket 

 wrapped round me, my teeth chattering and rattling like 

 castanets. Fortunately I had dressed myself fully when 

 I first woke up, and was therefore prepared for the worst. 

 Two of the chickens had sought shelter in my hut, but 

 seemed to be feeling uncomfortable in the wet, as queer 

 gurgles and cacklings arose from under the bed. 



Suddenly a terrific gust of wind caught the hut and 

 laid it flat, and I found myself prostrate beneath the 

 ruins — still smoking — the roof lay across my body, and 

 as I struggled to free mvself from the tangle of mosquito 



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