CHAPTER XLVIII. 



THE CAPTIVE AND HIS CAPTORS. 



ICK BROWNELL made no resistance, for the reason that it was out of his 

 power to do so, and any attempt in that direction was likely to bring severe 

 punishment upon him. 



His captors cleverly relieved him of the canvas that still covered his shoulders, 

 and, at the same tiin , extracted his revolver and knife from his possession. This 

 was done, indeed, while they were forcing him forward into the fuller light of the 

 camp-fire. 



The natives may not have shown much interest in him while he was acting the 

 part of spectator, but they now gathered around, as though he was some wonderful 

 object, on which they had never looked before. They pinched his arms, passed 

 their hands over his face, as if unable to understand why the skin should be so 

 much fairer than their own, felt of his garments, and looked with no little admira- 

 tion on the boots which encased his shapely feet. 



While thus engaged, they expressed their feelings in the oddest clucking sounds, 

 closely resembling the language of the Hottentots, which, as I have said, suggests 

 the noises made by a lot of hens more than anything else I can call to mind. 



Dick Brownell stood the ordeal well. Despite the trying situation, he could 

 not help smiling at some of their grotesque actions, while their childish bewilder- 

 ment would have amused any one. 



I suspect that a discovery made by him at this moment had much to do with 

 his improvement of spirits. He gained a good look of the remains of the carcass 

 on which the party had been feasting. He saw that it belonged to some animal, 

 most likely a small antelope. He had done the natives great injustice by suspect- 

 ing them of cannibalism, and, had he possessed the means of apologizing, I am not 

 sure he would not have done so. 



Whatever disposition the captors might make of him, Dick was immeasurably 

 relieved to know that he was not likely to form a meal for them to feast upon. 



As if with a view of conciliating him, one of the natives handed his long-stemmed 

 pipe to the lad, who took a few whiffs, through fear of offending them by a refusal, 

 but the tobacco was so strong that he dare not keep it up long. 



No little pleasure was displayed over the canvas covering. It consisted of a 

 goodly number of yards, was very strong and had suffered nothing from its rough 

 usage. It was a prize which the wild men knew how to appreciate. 



The next proceeding of the latter was to offer Dick some of the meat that had 

 furnished them with their supper. He would have preferred to decline, since he 

 was not hungry, but he ate a few mouthfuls, an act which I need not tell you would 



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