g edges already referred to effectually
prevented this until the falling torrent filled it up; then some of them
succeeded in leaping out from off the backs of their smothered comrades.
These, however, were quickly met and speared by the natives, while ever
and anon the great mass was upheaved by the frantic struggles of some
gigantic creature that was being smothered at the bottom.

While this scene of wholesale destruction was going on, Makarooroo came
up to me and begged me, with mysterious looks, to follow him out of the
crowd.

I obeyed, and when we had got away from the immediate neighbourhood of
the turmoil, I said,--"Well, Mak, what's wrong?"

"De chief, massa, hims tell me few moments ago dat canoe wid Mbango and
oomans hab pass dis way to-morrow."

"To-morrow!" I exclaimed.

"No, me forgit; hab pass yistumday."

"Indeed!"

"Yis, an' de chief hims say hims want us to stop wid him and go hunt for
week or two. P'raps he no let us go 'way."

"That's just possible, Mak. Have you told Jack?"

"No, massa."

"Then go bring him and Peterkin hither at once."

In a few minutes my companions were with me, and we held a brief earnest
consultation as to what we should do.

"I think we should tell the chief we are anxious to be off at once, and
leave him on good terms," said I.

Peterkin objected to this. "No," said he; "we cannot easily explain why
we are anxious to be off so hastily. I counsel flight. They won't find
out that we are gone until it is too late to follow."

Jack agreed with this view, so of course I gave in, though I could not
in my heart approve of such a method of sneaking away. But our guide
seemed also to be exceedingly anxious to be off, so we decided; and
slipping quietly away under the shelter of the hedge, while the natives
were still busy with their bloody work, we soon gained the forest. Here
we had no difficulty in retracing our steps to the village, where,
having picked up our little companion, Njamie's son, who had been left
to play with the little boys of the place, we embarked, swept down the
stream, and were soon far beyond the chance of pursuit.

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

A LONG CHASE, AND A HAPPY TERMINATION THEREOF.

Knowing that unless we advanced with more than ordinary speed we could
not hope to overtake our friends for several days--a stern chase being
proverbially a long one--we travelled a great part of the night as well
as all day; and on our third day a