DISPUTE ABOUT A CHILD. 
185 
nimbly on alternate knees in time to the music. The 
drummers were energetic, smart, mirthful fellows ; 
and their music, sounding so sweetly among the hills, 
was more pleasant than any performance I had ever 
expected to witness in Africa. It was called Unyoro 
music, but at Unyoro we heard none of it in conse- 
quence of the moroseness of the king. All the time 
we were at Karague we saw no dance worth noting; 
they did not seem much given to dancing, and the 
war-drum was never sounded. Long may this con- 
tinue ! On such occasions the men take the field and 
the women beat the drums. An alarm of cattle hav- 
ing been captured was once spread, and the men 
rushed about in hot haste, armed each with a single 
spear and their faithful bow and arrows ; but it 
proved false, and the bold Prince Chunderah was 
disappointed of a raid. 
The only alarms we experienced were caused by the 
hyena or other animals stealing from us. Twice an 
infuriated mob came shouting into our camp, the voices 
of the women being above all others. A woman had 
a child, and two men fought for it. Each claimed it ; 
the woman wouldn't give it up ; she couldn't settle the 
dispute ; would the white man do it ? I was not for 
some time made aware of the circumstances ; but my 
Seedee servant appointed himself arbiter, and, after 
looking at both the men and the child, decided 
who was the rightful father, after which they all 
scampered off in noisy confusion. A second case was 
soon after decided in the same way, but with a differ- 
ent result, for the man who lost the suit took his 
spear and threatened to stab the infant. The African, 
however, is more prompt in speech than in action. 
