DAYSINCAMP 279 



laughter of the children seemed to have an Eno-lish rm nr 

 and the tone of their voices was not very different as it 

 came down to us from their choom. And often as I crept 

 round the camp of an evening and lifted the flap of their 

 choom, I used to ask myself: — 'Now, how are these 

 people in any way essentially different from ourselves ? ' 



Softly came the voice of Katrina crooning to her baby. 

 She had a little song for it, just as any mother here will 

 have. ' Adski, adski, pi-sing-a. 1 Adski, arki hu-wi-ni- 

 ti-an,' 2 this is what she sang. I don't think it sounds 

 very pretty to you, but it means this : ' Laugh, baby, 

 laugh. Baby will soon be a big man.' And then she 

 would play hide-and-seek — ' hunyan hordah ' she called 

 it, covering its face with a bit of soft skin. ' Hunyan,' 

 where is it? and 'hordah,' found. 



And the children in the corner would be having a 

 tea-party for the dolls. Nyabkutni, the curly-headed, 

 would work the hosts, the father, mother, and their family, 

 and the other girls would introduce the quests. The 

 choom they represented by three sticks. They used to 

 go through most elaborate performances, and shout with 

 laughter, but I could never gather a single word from all 

 their chattering, and whenever I asked them, they only 

 laughed the more. 



Hyland was very wretched yesterday, shivering and 

 ague-like, and did not move all day, so this morning 

 when I went out about five o'clock I did not disturb him. 



1 Laughter. 2 fhe day after to-morrow. 



