struggle further. We could only pat him on
the neck and say, “ Good-bye, old boy; farewell
old hero! A bad world this for you and for I
us. We must part at last.” The poor animal
appeared to know that we were leaving him
for he neighed after us— a sickly, quavering
neigh, that betrayed his excessive weakness
When we last turned to look at him he was ;
lying on the path, but looking up the hill with
pointed ears, as though he were wondering
why he was left alone, and whither his human
friends and companions by flood and field were
wandering.
After charging the chief of Mbinda to feed
him with cassava leaves and good grass from
his fields, I led the caravan over the serried
levels of the lofty upland.
At the end of this district, about a mile from
Mwato Wandu, we appeared before a village
whose inhabitants permitted us to pass on for
a little distance, when they suddenly called out
to us with expostulatory tones at an almost
shrieking pitch. The old chief, followed by
about fifty men, about forty of whom carried
guns, hurried up to me and sat down in the
road.
^ In a composed and consequential tone he asked,
“ Know you I am the king of this country?”'
I answered mildly, “ I knew it not, my brother.”
“ I am the king, and how can you pass through
my country without paying me?”
“Speak, my friend; what is it the Mundele
can give you?”
“Rum. I want a big bottle of r u m , and then
you can pass on.”
“Rum?” %
“Yes, rum, for I am the king of this country!”
“Rum!” I replied wonderingly.
“Rum; rum is good. I love rum,” he said,
with a villainous leer.
Uledi, coming forward, impetuously asked,
“What does this old man want, master?”
“He wants rum, TJledi. Think of it!
“There’s rum for him,” he said, irreverently
slapping his Majesty over the face, who, as the
stool was not very firm, fell over prostrate.
Naturally this was an affront, and I reproved
Uledi for it. Yet it seemed that he had extricated
us from a difficult position by his audacity,
for the old chief and his people hurried off to
their village, where there was great excitement
and perturbation, but we could not stay to see
the end.
Ever and anon, as we rose above the ridged
swells, we caught the glimpse of the wild river
on whose bosom we had so long floated. Still
white and foaming, it rushed on impetuously
seaward through the sombre defile. Then we
descended into a deep ravine, and presently,