MY JOURNEY CONTINUED TO ASHAKA 205 



certainly be killed by the Kagorras, the more so as one coming 

 straight from himself, who was their hated enemy ; and he 

 pointed to the ground by the river which was their battle 

 field, saying that many on both sides had been killed there. 

 And he added, that should any evil befall me, my death 

 would be avenged by the British Government on him. 

 Accordingly., for the present I left the hills alone. These 

 run on the whole way to Badiko, which is five days' journey 

 west of Bauchi. 



A day's march brought us to a village called Koninkum, 

 where the natives at first ran away, as they had heard the 

 reports of my collecting-gun and believed I was coming 

 with force against them. After a time I managed to per- 

 suade them to return, but I might have spared the pains, 

 for I could get nothing out of them. They were a dirty 

 lot, inhabiting small round huts which, if anything, were 

 filthier than pig-styes. In these a gangway, through the 

 first half, divides four little stalls where the children sleep, 

 and the back half of the hut is given over to the men and 

 women, who sleep huddled up together, naked, Hke pigs. 

 The entrance is so low that one has to go on hands and knees 

 to pass. Needless to say, I did not seek my night's shelter 

 in one of these dwelHngs, but gave the village plenty of room, 

 and in heavy rain cut a clearing in the long grass for my tent. 



Next day we came to a deep rushing river with so strong 

 a current that it was impossible to cross. I first tried to 

 throw a rope bridge over, but the "boys" could not hold 

 on and were washed off by the force of the water. Luckily 

 there were fine trees growing thickly along the banks, and so 

 I was able to make a bridge by feUing trees to fall across. 



