494 THE WORLD S WONDERS. 



uncovered one of the points, and grasping the little savage's arm 

 pretended to be about to inoculate him with the dark substance 

 that stained the point of the weapon, and which had an odor 

 resembling that of cantharides. His loud screams, visible terror, 

 and cries of " Mabi ! mabi !" (Bad! Bad!) with a persuasive 

 eloquence of gesture, left no doubt as to the character of the 

 dark substance. 



This strange creature stood, when measured, four feet six-and- 

 a-half inches in height, and proved to be fully a head taller than 

 the average of his people. His head w r as large, his face decked 

 with a scraggy fringe of whiskers, and his complexion light 

 chocolate. He was exceedingly bow-legged and thin-shanked, 

 and was altogether a hideous looking fiend and ugly little savage 

 brute, and as to intelligence very little above the beasts of the 

 forest. Stanley retained him as a prisoner and guide for several 

 days, but finally dismissed him and sent him home with a handful 

 of beads and shells and some bead necklaces. He had expected 

 to be eaten, according to the custom of his country, and though 

 his captors shook hands with him at parting, and smiled, and 

 patted him on the shoulder, he could not comprehend why he 

 had not furnished a feast for them, and evidently did not feel 

 safe until he had plunged out of sight in his native woods. 



INTO THE UNKNOWN. 



ON the 26th of December, Tipo-Tib and his Arabs bade fare- 

 well to Stanley, and started on their return. They had not fully 

 kept their contract, but their excessive fear or ^ ~ eunnibals and 

 the dwarfs was having a bad effect on Stanley's ir^n, and 

 he decided to let them go ; so, after a grand banquet in the 

 wilderness, they snook hands and parted. At this time Stanley 

 was. not. sure whether the stream that he was following would 

 empty into the Niger or the Congo* as everything in advance of 

 him was unknown and doubtful ; but he determined to proceed 

 and let the future take care of itself. His force now consisted 

 of 149 persons in 23 boats, and on the departure of the Arabs, 

 they embarked and commenced their long and dangerous drift 

 toward the unknw, 



