d without a word I walked quietly to where the little animal lay, the
boy backing slowly and watchfully from me, but holding his waddy ready
for a blow or to hurl at me, it seemed, if I ventured to attack.

I wanted to make friends, and as soon as I reached the dead deer I
stooped down, holding my gun ready though, and taking hold of the spear,
drew it out and offered it to the young hunter.

He understood my motion, for he made a couple of steps forward quickly,
but only to draw back uttering an angry ejaculation, and raise his waddy
in a threatening way.

"He thinks I want to trap him," I said to myself; and taking the spear
in regular native style, as Jimmy had taught me, I smiled and nodded,
tossed it in the air, and let it drop a few yards away with the shaft
upright and towards his hands.

I pointed to it and drew back a few yards, when, quick as some wild
animal, he made two or three bounds, caught up the spear, poised it, and
stood as if about to hurl it at me.

It was not a pleasant position, and my first impulse was to raise my gun
to my shoulder; but my second was to stand firm, resting on my piece,
and I waved my hand to him to lower the spear.

The boy hesitated, uttered a fierce cry, and stamped one foot angrily;
but I waved my hand again, and, thrusting my hand into my pocket, pulled
out a ring of brass wire, such as we carried many of for presents to the
savages, and I tossed it to him.

I saw the boy's eyes glitter with eagerness, but he was too suspicious
to move, and so we stood for some minutes, during which I wondered
whether my companions had heard the report of my gun, and if so whether
they would come up soon. If they did I was sure they would alarm the
boy, who seemed as suspicious as some wild creature and shook his spear
menacingly as soon as I took a step forward.

A thought struck me just then as I saw a red spot glisten on a leaf, and
stepping forward I saw another and another, which I pointed to, and then
again at a continuous series of them leading towards the dense bush.

I took a few more steps forward when the boy suddenly bounded to my side
as if he realised that I had saved his life and that he was bound to try
and save me in turn.

He uttered some words fiercely, and, catching my arm, drew me back,
pointing his spear menacingly in the direction taken by the great
savage, and in response to his excited words I nodded and smiled and
yielded to his touch.

We had not take