A STAMPEDE OF ELEPHANTS 



work, then did an extraordinary thing. With an air of 

 languor and absolute disdain he folded his arms and 

 hung over the back of the chief's chair. For a moment 

 the latter did not appear to notice him until, gesticulating 

 wildly as he talked, the youngster spat over the chief's 

 shoulder on to the ground at his feet. The fat was in 

 the fire at once, and the fellow, sorely offended, got up 

 and walked over to a tree and leant against the trunk. 

 Savarkaki still jabbered away, trying to pump the old 

 man, his comical little face following his victim's move- 

 ments, and, as if determined to assert his importance, 

 he strode over to the spot where the chief stood and 

 actually leant against him, resting his right hand on his 

 shoulder. The chief, being engaged in a heated con- 

 versation with some of his people, did not immediately 

 pay attention to the urchin, but presently he gave him 

 a heavy smack on the face which sent him flying. I 

 have never seen anything to equal the impertinence of 

 the youngster, and in the eyes of the villagers he became 

 almost a hero for having so much as dared to go near 

 the chief. 



The next day found us at a Belgian " rest camp," 

 where the people boasted of a bugler who was never tired 

 of disturbing the peace with his ear-splitting instrument. 

 The country round about appeared to be thickly wooded 

 and hilly. A few days later we crossed what was pre- 

 sumably the Aka, but the natives had a hundred names 

 for it, not one of which bore any resemblance to that 

 given on the maps. In the country here and to the 

 north of the Kibali (in fact, I may say throughout the 

 Congo), the natives get across the rivers on curious 

 bridges, some of which require a strong nerve and trust 

 in Providence to cross. Massive ropes of bark and 

 grass and strong cables of vines which grow round the 

 trees in the forest and hang from lofty branches are 

 thrown across the river and fastened to the trunks of 



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