Chap. IX. SEIZURE OF A HOSTAGE. 161 



which I desired. It inspired the Otando people with 

 fear and respect for us, and showed that, though few, 

 we were not to be trifled with. 



I now turned to our Httle prisoner. Poor, fellow ! 

 he was a mere boy, about twelve years of age, and 

 my heart felt for him as I heard his moans when 

 passing by the hut, for Rebouka had secured him so 

 tightly with cords that he coidd not move a limb. 

 He said to me, with tears in his eyes, " Oh, Chaillie ! 

 you are my father's great friend ; I am but a child, 

 and cannot run away. They will come bade with all 

 your stolen things ; Mintcho told me so. Oh, Chaillie ! 

 I suffer so much. I am your boy. Did I not refuse 

 to leave you, but followed you to the Otando country ? 

 Do loosen the cords which hurt me so much." I 

 ordered Rebouka to slacken the cords, which he did, 

 but remonstrated terribly at my imprudence, telling 

 me that I wasted my pity on the boy ; that I did not 

 know negroes ; that negroes were not children at 

 that age. " Do you think," said he, " that a child 

 could have come from the Ngouyai to the Otando 

 country with the load this boy has carried ? " We 

 then secured him under the verandah of my hut, and 

 set a watch over him during the night. Mdyolo also 

 urged me to keep a good look-out on the boy ; for then 

 all my property would be sure to come back to me. 



Eebouka was right. The cunning little fellow 

 escaped before the morning. He contrived to 

 wriffo-le free of the cords which bound him, and 

 fled whilst the guard was absent for a few moments. 

 His escape was a great loss to me, for, had I suc- 

 ceeded in keeping him, all the goods I had been 



