AMONG THE PYGMIES 31 



him it was all right ; God would protect us, and we 

 should get through the forest in safety ; had He not 

 preserved us thus far from dangers on every hand? 

 and we must trust Him to keep us all the way. 



Five o'clock came and it was time to pitch camp. 

 We found a nice spot which was tolerably clear from 

 undergrowth, although it was quite thick overhead ; 

 and here we put the tent, and the porters built their 

 little huts. I then sat down at my tent door ,an,d 

 tried to read. Presently, upon looking up from my 

 book, I became aware of a number of little faces peering 

 at me through the thicket. Just in front of me was 

 the trunk of a huge tree, and around one side of it 

 peeped a tiny figure. For a moment I was completely 

 taken aback ; it was like being in fairyland and having 

 visits paid to one by the fairies themselves. My boys, 

 who were sitting near at hand cooking some food 

 for our evening meal, also caught sight of these strange 

 little beings and came at once to my side. I told one 

 of them to go and fetch the little people, that I 

 might talk with them, but he was too much afraid 

 and refused to leave my side. Indeed, I did not 

 wonder at his fear, for I, too, began to have strange 

 apprehensions as to the character of my visitors. I 

 did not know whether they had not come to attack 

 me, and how soon I might find myself pierced with 

 a deadly arrow. At last I called out in the language 

 of the people of Toro just the ordinary salutation of 

 the country, and to my great astonishment and pleasure 

 one little man returned my greeting. I then said 

 to him, ' Come here and let us talk together.' This 

 I shouted out several times, and then, very slowly 

 and very shyly, he came creeping towards me, fol- 



