AMATEUR SURGEONS 



stood stock still, struck an attitude of defiance, snatched 

 a blazing brand from the fire, and held it aloft ; with 

 prancing steps, lifting his feet high from the ground, he 

 careered madly up and down the front line of the excited 

 wriggling and shuffling chorus, who were still clapping 

 their hands, yelling and shrieking to the accompaniment 

 of blasts of trumpets and roll of drums. The deep bass 

 voices of the men and the shrill falsetto notes of the 

 women sounded not unpleasant as their anklets jangled 

 and rows of white teeth shone forth in the mystic light 

 under the starry sky. 



Dogs barked and night birds screamed in the trees 

 but were scarcely audible above the din of those excited 

 savages, who, standing aside from the dancers, beat on 

 the wooden and skin covered drums in a frenzy of excite- 

 ment. Almost without a minute's relaxation the frenzied 

 people sang, stamped, danced, and shouted, beat drums 

 and made their unearthly din until the early hours of 

 the morning. 



At daybreak a white pall of mist hung spectre-like 

 over the village ; it was still dark, damp, and chilly. 

 Slowly the white mantle gave way and lifted to the 

 growing light. Only a few yawning natives stretching 

 themselves outside their huts and the little piles of grey 

 ash of the fires, wet with the dew of the early morn, 

 were left as evidence of the night's ceremony. 



The following day, when the sun had risen four hours 

 high in the heavens, the sharp report of a gun rang out 

 from the low wooded country that lay below us to the 



east. Instinctively I knew that P was coming my 



way, and hastened to answer the signal by firing the 

 •450. The villagers, having been told that another white 

 man was expected to join me, turned out in large numbers. 

 From the top of a high tree close to the village one of 

 the people espied a white man coming at the head of a 

 crowd of boys carrying loads. 



163 



