244 MAYOLO TO APONO-LAND. Chap. XII. 



At the S.E. end of the prairie we came to a village 

 called Dilolo. Our reception here was anything but 

 friendly. We found the entrance to the one street of 

 the village barricaded and guarded by all the fighting 

 men, armed with spears, bows and arrows, and sabres. 

 When within earshot, they vented bitter curses 

 against Nchiengain for wanting to bring the Oguizi, 

 who carries with him the eriva (plague), into their 

 village, and prohibited us from entering if we did 

 not want war. The war drums beat, and the men 

 advanced and retired before us, spear in hand. We 

 marched forward nevertheless, and the determined 

 fellows then set fire to the grass of the open space 

 leading to the village barricade. Wishing to avoid 

 an encounter, and also the fire which was spread- 

 ing at a great rate over the prairie, we turned by 

 a path leading round the village ; but when we had 

 reached the rear of the place, we found a body of 

 the villagers moving in the same direction, to stop 

 our further progress. Most of them appeared half- 

 intoxicated with palm wine, and I now ft It that we 

 were going to have a fight. Presently two poisoned 

 arrows were shot at us, but they fell short. Nchien- 

 gain then came up and walked between my men and 

 the irritated warriors, begging me not to fire unless 

 some of us were hit. The villagers, seeing that we 

 made no display of force, became bolder, and one of 

 them came right up and with his bow bent threat- 

 ened to shoot Rapelina. My plucky lad faced the 

 fellow boldly, and, showing him the muzzle of his 

 gun, told him he would be a dead man if he did not 

 instantly put down his bow. All my Commi boys 



