196 A BLOW ON THE BEARD. 



ceived only a few trifling articles, and a serious lecture in the 

 bargain, he was in a very unfriendly humor. The quiet indif- 

 ference of Livingstone was a hint, however, which the reputa- 

 tion of the Makololo — a number of whom he saw about him, 

 in possession of first-rate muskets — emphasized quite to his 

 satisfaction, and there was no greater trouble than his harmless 

 frown. But a little farther on, after the party had ascended 

 from the valley and were on the table land once more, they met 

 a more resolute individual in the person of the head man of a 

 little village, where they had been detained several weeks by 

 the sickness of Livingstone, who had already fallen a prey to 

 the wasting fevers which had made his life almost a burden in 

 this country a year before ; and besides the fevers he was now 

 afflicted with rheumatism. It was hardly possible that he 

 should be anything else than ill, drenched by day in the inces- 

 sant rains, and sleeping at night on such beds as they were able 

 to rake up of the saturated earth and dripping grass. He had 

 been forced to lie by many days, and was only partially recov- 

 ered, when the incident referred to occurred. The said " head 

 man " had come to his camp and was bargaining and quarrelling 

 with some of his men, when one of them, not overly burdened 

 with the gentler qualities, administered a striking rebuke for 

 some offensive speech. Nothing could atone for the " blow on 

 the beard." The more the party yielded the more he de- 

 manded, until Livingstone determined to do no more and 

 departed. They had not gone very far, and were passing 

 through a forest, when a body of men came rushing after them 

 and initiated an affray by knocking down the burdens of the 

 men in the rear. In an instant the Makololo were on their 

 mettle and several shots were fired, and the two parties were 

 taking their places on the sides of the path for more serious 

 work. Hardly able to walk, Livingstone staggered quickly 

 back and encountered the chief. That individual was hardly 

 prepared to welcome the appearance of "a revolver with six 

 barrels gaping into his stomach," and exhibited a singular re- 

 version of feeling instantly, and, trembling in every limb, cried 

 out, " Oh, I have only come to speak with you ! " It was 

 hardly necessary for the traveller to insist much on the fright- 

 ened mob's immediate departure, and our party passed on in 

 safety. 



