ack, and shouting and laughing as he
slapped himself loudly with his hands. I can compare his conduct to
nothing but that of a dog who has just found his master.

The question now arose what was to be done, and by a good deal of sign--
making we asked Ebo to lead us back to the camp; but he shook his head
and stamped and frowned, and to cut the matter short threw some more
wood on the fire, pushed us both into our leaf tent, lay down across the
front, and went to sleep.

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE.

MY EARTHQUAKE.

I said very little to my uncle about my alarm, feeling sure that he
would laugh very heartily at my mistake, but I lay awake for some little
while thinking that it was time I grew to be more manly and brave, and
not so ready to be frightened at everything I could not directly
understand. It seemed so shocking, too, for I might in my cowardly fear
have shot poor Ebo, who was one of the best and truest of fellows, and
seemed never so happy as when able to do something for me.

My last thoughts before I went to sleep were that I hoped I might grow
into a brave and true man, and I determined to try hard not to be such a
weak coward.

I have often thought since, though, that if any ordinary man had been
placed in the same situation he would have been as nervous as I; for to
awake out of a deep sleep in a dark forest in a wild land, where
dangerous beasts might be lurking, to hear a peculiar rustling noise,
and through the faint light to make out the figure of the black, looking
big and indistinct as he crept on all-fours, was, to put it as you may,
very startling.

I was ready enough to laugh at all the dread when I awoke in the morning
to find the sun just up, and sending his rays through the long vistas of
trees, where the birds were whistling, twittering, and screaming loudly,
while every now and then from a distance came the hoarse cry of the
birds of paradise.

"It is terribly tempting, Nat," said my uncle, "but I think we had
better make straight for camp and get a good breakfast before we do
anything else. Hallo! what is Ebo doing?"

"Making up the fire," I said; and directly the black had thrown on a
great armful of dead wood he came to us laughing and rubbing the front
of his person, squeezing himself in to show how empty he was, after
which he picked up a stick, took aim at a bird, said "_Bop_!" and ran to
pick it up; coming back laughing for us to applaud his performance.

"Well, Nat, that