344 NIGHT IN THE HILLS. 



their industry had converted the few available hollows into 

 miniature corn and cotton fields, and they have the art of grow- 

 ing their " mapisa (holcus sorgum) " on the steep slopes of the 

 mountains. The deep ravines are brought into service as traps 

 for zebras, antelopes and other animals, by stretching strong 

 nets made of baobab bark across their narrow entrances. Being 

 only the remnant of a tribe, they are greatly oppressed by their 

 stronger neighbors, and these industrious people need to call in 

 strategy to aid them in keeping what they have, and they have 

 fallen upon the plan of converting the most hidden cavities of 

 the rocks into stone houses ; and having thus eluded the rapac- 

 ity of their human foes they confide in the bitter bark in which 

 they wrap their treasures to protect them against the fastidious 

 mice and monkeys, who would but for this protection fatten on 

 their extremity. When the travellers entered their domains 

 they had no hesitation in saying very positively that they had 

 nothing, and the scanty store to be found in their homes seemed 

 to confirm their statement. There was no objection made to 

 their sleeping under the trees, and neither men nor beasts dis- 

 turbed the quiet of their slumbers, though there were as villan- 

 ous beasts about them as there are anywhere. Just across the 

 river from them, a leopard boldly assailed a company of natives 

 sitting together in the evening and killed one of their number. 

 Such an occurrence in one's immediate neighborhood could but 

 suggest serious thoughts, and naturally seasoned their conver- 

 sation more or less with the " leopard." They knew very well 

 that this cruel and cunning enemy might be quite near them ; 

 and though they were not timid men, those of them at least who 

 were unused to African experiences should not account them- 

 selves slandered if we improve the opportunity to guess that 

 they were as deeply interested in Iscckih xi. 6 as certain Teutonic 

 travellers when half drowned by an African rain-storm were in 

 Genesis ix. 11, 16. While the assaults of wild animals on the 

 men themselves, in whom we are more interested, seem to give 

 us a delight which we are ashamed to confess, as is proven by 

 our loss of interest in a hero who is not half killed now and then, 

 it ought to be considered almost as Christian to be interested 

 in the combats of these ferocious disputants of forest rights with 

 each other. We do not need to carry the reader far from the 



