680 THE AMBUSCADE. 



tion touching each hand, the party came to a point where an 

 ambush had been placed, and trees cut down to obstruct them 

 while they speared them ; but for some reason it was abandoned. 

 Nothing could be detected ; but by stooping down to the earth 

 and peering up towards the sun, a dark shade could sometimes 

 be seen : this was an infuriated savage, and a slight rustle in 

 the dense vegetation meant a spear. A large spear from his 

 right lunged past the doctor, and almost grazed his back, and 

 stuck firmly into the soil. The two men from whom it came 

 appeared in an opening in the forest only ten yards off and 

 bolted, one looking back over his shoulder as he ran. As they 

 were expert with the spear it was remarkable that it missed, 

 except that he was too sure of his aim and the good hand of 

 God was upon Livingstone. 



He was behind the main body, and all were allowed to pass 

 till he, the leader, who was believed to be Mohamad Bogharib, 

 or Kolokolo himself, came up to the point where they lay. A 

 red jacket they had formerly seen the doctor wearing was proof 

 to them that he was the same that sent Bin Juma to kill five of 

 their men, capture eleven women and children, and twenty-five 

 goats. Another spear was thrown at him by an unseen assail- 

 ant, and it missed also, by about a foot in front. Guns were 

 fired into the dense mass of forest, but with no effect, for noth- 

 ing could be seen ; they heard the men jeering and denouncing 

 them close by : two of their party were slain, still no one could 

 be seen. 



Coming to a part of the forest cleared for cultivation Dr. 

 Livingstone noticed a gigantic tree, made still taller by growing 

 on an ant-hill twenty feet high ; it had fire applied near its roots. 

 He heard a crack, which told that the fire had done its work, 

 but felt no alarm till he saw it come straight toward him; he 

 ran a few paces back, and down it came to the ground one yard 

 behind him, and, breaking into several lengths, it covered him 

 with a cloud of dust. Had the branches not previously been 

 rotted off he could scarcely have escaped. Thus three times in 

 one day he was delivered from impending death. When they 

 saw this third deliverance, his attendants, who were scattered 

 in all directions, came running back to him, calling out, u Peace! 

 peace ! you will finish all your work in spite of these people, 



