HUNTING AND HUNTED IN BELGIAN CONGO 



From behind the hedge which partly surrounded their 

 huts the chatter of women and cries of children continued 

 far into the night. 



About midnight a sharp storm broke over us. I shall 

 never forget the terrific flashes of lightning, the deafening 

 peals of thunder and the downpour of rain. Vivid flashes 

 from time to time revealed the great Legworo sentinel — 

 Mount Wati. What a magnificent sight it was to see the 

 huge mass flash out for a second and then disappear as 

 the darkness again enveloped the country ! My tent 

 leaked, mosquitos buzzed and bit incessantly in spite of 

 the fairly high altitude, my bed was drenched, and for 

 hours I sat awaiting the welcome light of day. I shall 

 long remember that night sitting up shaking with cold 

 listening to the wind that lashed the trees and sounded 

 like a heavy sea breaking on a low rocky shore. At 

 length the dawn arrived, and I was informed by Salem 

 that one of the cooking pots was missing. Some one 

 must have crept into the camp and stolen it during the 

 night. 



Our preparations for departure were watched with 

 intense interest, for over the hedge there peeped a row of 

 faces laughing and shouting, and lumps of earth were 

 hurled at us as we passed by. A group of glistening 

 naked bodies stood on an ant heap close by, and pointed 

 to the path which lay in front of us. Nothing extra- 

 ordinary was noticeable at the moment to show the 

 intense hatred of the people. On we went from one ridge 

 to another, rising and dropping as we crossed over the 

 fields and through the long grass. The people were 

 blowing reed trumpets and whistles and making strange 

 cries, shouting and yelling. 



When we had kept going for two hours we passed 

 through the site of an old camp that we had made on the 

 journey up country. The natives evidently expected me 

 to stay here again and camp for the night, for they all 



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