that
from the first he had no intention of conducting us over them. I
suppose, however, that he does not intend to leave us at once?"

"Little fear of that while we have the pigeons roasting at the fire,"
observed Mudge. "Perhaps during the evening we shall be able to learn
more about the matter; however, in the meantime we must make him and his
son assist us in plucking the birds, for I am getting pretty sharp set."

Pullingo and Quaquagmagu very willingly obeyed our directions,
especially as they were to benefit by the task, and we quickly had a
dozen pigeons and parrots roasting on as many spits.

"And so, Pullingo, you intend to leave us to make our way over the hills
by ourselves! That is not treating us properly," observed Mudge.

The black hung down his head, as if he had understood every word that
was said, and then with a sigh pointed northward.

"But why couldn't you have told us this before?" asked Mudge.

Pullingo pointed to his son, to intimate that he had brought him
intelligence which made him wish to return.

"And has he come all this way by himself?" asked Mudge, making signs at
the same time to explain his meaning.

The black intimated that he had not come alone, but that several of his
tribe had accompanied him, for some object or other which we could not
make out. We were puzzled also to discover how Quaquagmagu had known
where to find his father. It showed us that the blacks had some secret
means of communicating with each other of which we were ignorant.

We sat by our camp-fire endeavouring to hold a conversation with
Pullingo. His stock of words was but small; though, considering the
time he had been with us, it was wonderful that he had gained the
meaning of so many. We both eked them out by signs, in making use of
which the black was singularly clever. Our aim was to ascertain the
object for which Quaquagmagu and his companions had come into that part
of the country, but we were for a long time excessively puzzled to
understand the meaning of Pullingo's words and gestures. It had
something to do with the moon, and also with a large cavern; but whether
they had come to worship the moon, or some object in the cavern, we
could not clearly make out.

It was not till long afterwards that I understood what he wished to tell
us. In the early days of the world, the moon, who was then a very
beautiful young woman, lived happily in the midst of the forests through
which we had latel