THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 487 



dwarfs were firing from the tops of the trees ; they crept through 

 the tall grass close up to us, and shot their arrows in our faces. 

 Then some hundred of us cut down banana trees, tore doors out, 

 and houses down, and formed a boma at each end of the street, 

 and then we were a little better off, for it was not such rapid, 

 random shooting ; we fired more deliberately, and after several 

 hours drove them off. 



"But they soon came back and fought us all that night, so 

 that we could get no water, until our captain oh ! he was a brave 

 man, he was a lion ! held up a shield before him, and looking 

 around, he just ran straight where the crowd was thickest ; and 

 he seized two of the dwarfs, and we who followed him caught 

 several more, for they would not run away until they saw what 

 our design was, and then they left the water clear. We filled our 

 pots and carried the little Shaitans (devils) into the boma; and 

 there we found we had caught the king. We wanted to kill him, 

 but our captain said no, kill the others and toss their heads over 

 the wall ; but the king was not touched. 



" Then the dwarfs wanted to make peace, but they were on us 

 again in the middle of the night, and their arrows sounded 

 'twit,' 'twit,' in all directions. At last we ran away, throwing 

 down everything but our guns and swords. But many of our 

 men were so weak by hunger and thirst that they burst their 

 hearts running, and died. Others lying down to rest found the 

 little devils close to them when too late, and were killed. Out 

 of our great number of people only thirty returned alive, and I 

 am one of them." 



Stanley listened with rapt attention to the recital of this won- 

 derful story, and at its conclusion he said: "Ah! good. Did 

 you see anything else very wonderful on your journey?" 



" Oh yes ! There are monstrous large boa-constrictors in the 

 forest of Uregga, suspended by their tails to the branches, 

 waiting for the passer-by or for a stray antelope. The ants in 

 the forest are not to be despised. You cannot travel without 

 your body being covered with them, when they sting you like 

 wasps. The leopards are so numerous that you cannot go very 



