HUNTING AND HUNTED IN BELGIAN CONGO 



the centre of the village, like huge beehives. Chickens and 

 goats are hurriedly driven or dragged into the long grass 

 close by : for the sound of a gun leads these people to 

 believe that Askaris are coming to extort food from those 

 who often enough have not sufficient for themselves, 

 more especially when the surrounding country is under 

 water. 



Many of the natives in the Congo are completely 

 ignorant of what the white man can do with the gun, 

 and what are his limitations. Frequently I have been 

 awakened in the middle of a pitch-dark night by the 

 excited chattering of the natives who have come to my 

 tent to tell me that elephants are making depredations 

 in their lands. " It is too dark," I would say. " Ah, ah, 

 ayeh, ayeh, but the fire-stick is powerful ; come, there 

 are many, and we are hungry ! " 



By midday the stragglers had been found and stood 

 in camp recounting their experiences of the night, how 

 great birds had come and attacked them, and were driven 

 off with sticks. All night they had spent on the little 

 patch of earth and bush in the centre of the swamp. The 

 mosquitoes and other insects had given them a terrible 

 time. 



" We were afraid, yes, greatly afraid, for was not the 

 punda (mule) close to us, and all night the spirits talked. 

 We could not sleep, we had no food ; yes, the spirits 

 spoke loud. Early this morning big birds came high 

 in the sky above us and came down close ; they thought 

 we die finish, but no not so, for we used our sticks, and 

 we are here." 



" Master, I am cold and sick," said one, and he buried 

 his face in his hands. 



" Did you see the body of the mule to-day," I asked. 



" Yes," replied Mombwasa the elder; "the birds are 

 eating him, and now his bones will be white." 



I learned afterwards that these boys had tried to get 



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