THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 191 



with blood : what his offense had been I did not hear. The 

 entire crowd were most grotesquely gotten up, being dressed in 

 either leopard or white monkey skins, with cows' tails strapped 

 on behind, and antelopes' horns fitted upon their heads, while 

 their chins were ornamented with false beards, made of the bushy 

 ends of cows' tails sewed together. Altogether, I never saw a 

 more unearthly set of creatures ; they were perfect illustrations 

 of my childish ideas of devils horns, tails, and all, excepting 

 the hoofs ; they were our escorts furnished by Kamrasi to 

 accompany us to the lake." 



The following morning Baker found much difficulty in getting 

 the escort together, as they had been foraging throughout the 

 neighborhood ; these "devil's own" were a portion of Kam- 

 rasi's troops, who considered themselves entitled to plunder ad 

 libitum throughout the march ; however, after some delay, they 

 collected, and their tall chief, who evidently considered himself 

 an important personage, from the lofty manner in which he 

 strutted about, approached, and begged that a gun might be fired 

 as a curiosity. The escort crowded around, and as the boy Saat 

 was close to Baker, he ordered him to fire his gun. This was 

 Saat's greatest delight, and bang went one barrel unexpectedly 

 close to the tall chief's ear. The effect was charming. The 

 chief thought his time had come, and clasping his head with both 

 hands, he ran howling into the woods: the others were no less 

 excited, and in a very few moments not one of the escort of three 

 hundred was visible they had all fled from the instrument that 

 Vomited thunder and lightning. It required several hours of 

 patient search and coaxing to get them back again, so that the 

 joke was more upon Baker, perhaps, than upon the frightened 

 natives. 



AN HOUR OF SOREST TRIAL. 



THE expedition moved forward, and on the sixth day out, 

 having made a detour, came again upon the Kafoor river, at a 

 bend where it became necessary to cross it. The stream was in 

 the center of a marsh, and although deep, it was so covered with 

 thickly matted water-grass, and other aquatic plants, that a 



