HUNTING AND HUNTED IN BELGIAN CONGO 



sprang at one of the Shinzis, whose friends joined in 

 immediately. Kasinbasi had his man down and the 

 two were struggling and rolling about on the ground. 

 In a trice I bore down upon them and dragged my boy 

 off. He had an ugly wound in his left cheek where the 

 other had bitten him. A heavy blow in the eye silenced 

 him for a time. Two more of my boys were laying into 

 the remainder of the villagers with stout sticks, blood 

 was flowing freely on both sides. Fortunately the 

 Shinzis were unarmed. I was in good training, as tough 

 as nails, so I planted myself in the thick of it, and received 

 a nasty blow on the shoulder from one fellow's kerrie, 

 swinging round I had him down on the ground before 

 he knew what he was doing, and possessing myself of 

 his kerrie I continued to give the remaining combatants 

 a hot time as I swung the weapon with my left hand, and 

 dealt out undercuts with the right — behind the ear is 

 the best place, it rarely fails to have the desired effect 

 of rendering the recipient senseless for the time being. 

 My pyjama jacket had received rough treatment, and 

 although I had got a sore neck, I had the pleasure after 

 the fray of seeing one boy lying on his face stunned, 

 stretched out like a log : the other two of my fellows were 

 howling like fury. One of the Shinzis had come off 

 badly, he had received a terrific blow on the head, and 

 was now being supported by two others, his left arm 

 hung limply by his side, and was evidently giving him 

 great pain. He was breathing deep and hurriedly. I 

 sent one of his people down to the village for the chief, 

 and after breakfast held an inquiry into the matter. It 

 appeared that the Shinzis had brought some food to the 

 camp intending to exchange it with the porters for beads, 

 and began to deal with the three boys. Kasinbasi, the 

 ringleader, refused to return a gourd in which the food 

 had been brought to camp. The Shinzis, simple as 

 children, snatched at Kasinbasi's blanket which lay close 



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