HUNTING AND HUNTED IN BELGIAN CONGO 



we resumed our journey. Monica had taken the place 

 of Kalalili, whom I left behind with Katodawali at 

 Matuga's village. Nothing of any import happened 

 until we reached the grass country near the village that 

 had been burnt down. No alarm signal had preceded 

 us and our appearance was unexpected. As we struck 

 through the cultivated lands where several men, women 

 and children were working, they became panic stricken 

 at the sight of my party, and, dropping their tools and 

 weapons, raced for the long grass around the fields. The 

 shrieks of women, mingled with the bird-like calls of the 

 men, soon spread the alarm. Trumpets were blown, 

 drums rolled, and all sorts of cries went up from hill and 

 dale. Soon we reached the site of the village which still 

 lay in ruins, and as we passed between the huts it became 

 evident that little or no attempt had been made to 

 reconstruct the village since our absence, for the charred 

 poles, blackened masses of reed and mud walls remained 

 almost as we had left them. Large numbers of people, 

 yelling and whistling, followed on the path through the 

 long grass and clumps of trees behind us, keeping at a 

 respectful distance of some one hundred and fifty yards. 

 Others fled before us and hid in the grass or behind trees 

 that stood several hundred yards on either side of the 

 path. 



Threading our way down the steep descent to the 

 Insa valley was a ticklish business. From behind the 

 great boulders that lined the path I expected every 

 moment to see glistening spears or to hear the dull twang 

 of bow strings that would send a shower of death-winged 

 messengers in among us. I kept the boys well bunched 

 together, and to prevent any lagging I brought up the 

 rear, for I knew that any second a rush might come from 

 that quarter. Once or twice as we passed close to a rock 

 there was a sudden scuffle as a dark form sprang up and 

 tore off to some other shelter close by. It does not 



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