ked more like shrivelled monkeys
than human beings; extraordinary anatomical specimens, whose muscles,
working as they ran, were as visible as though no skin covered them. There
were young women, young children, and women far advanced in pregnancy; and
they all went by like automatic figures, clockwork marionettes.

It was a pitiable spectacle enough, these laden creatures, mute looking as
dumb beasts; but there was nothing especially to shock the eye of the
European, for it is the long-prepared treason against this people, devised
and carried out by nature, that their black mask covers a multitude of
other people's sins and their own untold sufferings.

Had they been white, the despairing look, the sunken eyes, the hundred
signs that tell of suffering and slavery would have been visible, would
have appealed to the heart; but the black mass could not express these
things fully. They were niggers, uglier looking and more depressed looking
than other niggers--that was all.

And so Adams passed on, without knowing what he had seen and the only
impression the sight made on his mind was one of disgust.

One fact his professional eye noticed as the crowd passed by. Four of the
women had lost their left hands.

The hands had been amputated just above the wrist in three cases, and one
woman had suffered amputation at the middle of the forearm.

He spoke of this to Berselius, who did not seem to hear his remark.

At noon they halted for a three hours' rest, and then pushed on, camping
for the night, after a twenty-five miles' journey, in a break of the
forest.

CHAPTER IX

BIG GAME

Just as going along the coast by Pondoland one sees English park scenery
running down to the very sea edge, so the Congo has its surprises in
strips of country that might, as far as appearance goes, have been cut out
of Europe and planted here.

This glade which Felix had chosen for a camping place was strewn with
rough grass and studded here and there with what at first sight seemed
apple trees: they were in reality thorns.

The camp was pitched and the fires lit on the edge of the forest, and then
Berselius proceeded to take tale of his people and found one missing. One
of the cook boys had dropped behind and vanished. He had been lame shortly
after the start. The soldiers had not seen him drop behind, but the
porters had.

"How many miles away was it?" asked Berselius of the collected porters.

"Nkoto, nkoto (Very many, ve