FAREWELL TO THE CONGO 



" See, it is the death," they cried, pointing to the 

 muddy-looking substance that lay behind the barbs and in 

 B thin layer over the head. The women shook their heads 

 and agreed that the spirits had willed it that 1 should 

 live. Every one crowded forward to inspect the wound 

 and wanted to know if I would return with askaris to 

 kill all the Legworo. Yes, they were certain as to the 

 fate of my two boys, without a doubt they would be 

 eaten. 



1 reckoned that we were now in the Lado Enclave, 

 and no longer feared that I would be followed. The 

 only danger was that another tribe would try to finish 

 us oft, because I had now only three boys and a handful 

 of ammunition. 



The rest of the journey to Wadelai was accomplished 

 under enormous difficulties. I suffered much from pain, 

 fever, and sleeplessness, for I was unable to lie on my back 

 or left side. I had no tent, and only one knife with which 

 to cut wood for the fires and huts, a blanket, one shirt, 

 and a pair of pants. My only pillow was the kit bag ; 

 my only comforts were a bottle of whisky and tobacco, 

 but fever had hold of me, and for hours at a time I lay 

 under a shady tree barely conscious of my surroundings. 

 The quinine was soon finished. 



Often I would purposely avoid villages for fear of 

 being attacked. When the fever left me for a while 

 we marched along under the blazing sun. The native 

 paths were bordered by all sorts of thorny bushes, and 

 not infrequently one of the branches would hook into 

 my flesh by the wound, and I could feel the pain travelling 

 down my left side to the knee. The sleeves of my shirt 

 were cut short above the elbows. It was impossible to 

 keep a bandage on for any length of time, as it kept 

 slipping down every now and again. The flies tormented 

 my unprotected flesh, and for the rest of the journey 

 life was miserable indeed. Everywhere the natives 



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