CHAPTER SIXTEEN 



HEART OF THE CONGO 



IT rained a great part of the time during our stay in 

 the Ituri forest. The very atmosphere was saturated 

 with moisture, everything becoming so water-soaked 

 that it soon doubled its weight. My films gave me a 

 great deal of worry, for I feared that all this material 

 which I had worked so hard to secure would be ruined 

 by the dampness and heat. 



Nearly the entire pygmy population of the clearing 

 followed us to the edge of the forest, w^here they surged 

 around the trucks. Jones was tinkering with the 

 motors, from which we had long ago removed the 

 mufflers, and when he would push down on an acceler- 

 ator, the unearthly racket caused great excitement 

 among the dwarfs. They would shout and laugh and 

 crowd around until Jones tooted the horn. This always 

 sent them scurrying away pell-mell, only to return 

 shortly and m£ike signs for him to do it again. 



We took the four chiefs for a buggy ride, and while 

 Jones sped around the corners and up and down gullies, 

 I w^atched their actions. As they crouched in the back 

 of the car, holding on to the sideboards for dear life, 

 expressions of pleasure, fear, horror, and other 

 emotions passed over their faces. Tliis experience 

 impressed them immensely, but the speed was too 

 great to please them and they were glad to be 

 deposited safely back on earth once more. Their 



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