382 CURTAILING THE OXEN. 



because I did not wish it ; they had just spoken in the bitterness 

 of their spirit, and when feeling that they could do nothing ; but 

 if these enemies begin you will see what we can do." One of the 

 oxen we offered to the Chiboque had been rejected because he 

 had lost part of his tail, as they thought that it had been cut off 

 and witchcraft medicine inserted ; and some mirth was excited 

 by my proposing to raise a similar objection to all the oxen we 

 still had in our possession. The remaining four soon presented 

 a singular shortness of their caudal extremities, and though no 

 one ever asked whether they had medicine in the stumps or no, 

 we were no more troubled by the demand for an ox ! We now 

 slaughtered another ox, that the spectacle might not be seen of 

 the owners of the cattle fasting while the Chiboque were feasting. 



