568 
A DANGEROUS PASS. 
by stooping down and peering towards the sun, we could 
at times only see a shadow moving, and a slight rustle in 
the rank vegetation was a spear thrown from the shadow 
of an infuriated man. Our people in front peered into 
every little opening in the dense thicket before they would 
venture past it; this .detained the rear, and two persons 
lear me were slain. A large spear lunged past, close be- 
flind ; another missed me by about a foot in front. Coming 
to a part of the forest of about a hundred yards cleared 
for cultivation, I observed that lire had been applied to one 
of the gigantic trees, made still higher by growing on an 
ant-hill, twenty or more feet high. Hearing the crack that 
told the fire had eaten through, I felt that there was no 
danger, it looked so far away, till it appeared coming right 
down toward me. I ran a few paces back, and it came to 
the ground only one yard off, broke in several lengths, and 
covered me with a cloud of dust. My attendants ran back, 
exclaiming: “Peace! peace! you will finish your work in 
spite of all these people, and in spite of everything ! ” I, 
iOo, took it as an omen of good, that I had three narrow 
escapes from death in one day. 
The Manyema are expert in throwing the spear, and as I 
had a glance of him whose spear missed by less than an 
inch behind, and lie was not ten yards off, I was saved 
clearly by the good hand of the Almighty Preserver of 
men. I can say this devoutly now, but in running the ter- 
rible gauntlet for five weary hours among furies, all eager 
to signalize themselves by slaying one they sincerely be- 
lieved to have been guilty of a horrid outrage, no elevated 
sentiments entered the mind. The excitement gave way to 
overpowering weariness, and I felt, as I suppose soldiers 
do on the field of battle — not courageous, but perfectly in- 
different whether I Avere killed or not. 
On coming to the cleared plantation belonging to the 
next group of villages, all lay down to rest, and I soon saw 
their head man Avalking unarmed, in a stately manner, to- 
ward us. He had heard the vain firing of our men into the 
