n many steps before he stopped short to stand and stare
at me wonderingly, saying something the while.

Then he touched me, and as I raised my hand to grasp his he uttered a
fierce cry and pointed his spear at me once more, but I only laughed--
very uncomfortably I own--and he lowered it slowly and doubtfully once
again, peering into my eyes the while, his whole aspect seeming to say,
"Are you to be trusted or no?"

I smiled as the best way of giving him confidence, though I did not feel
much confidence in him--he seemed too handy with his spear. He,
however, lowered this and looked searchingly at me, while I wondered
what I had better do next. For this was an opportunity--here was a lad
of my own age who might be ready to become friends and be of great
service to us; but he was as suspicious and excitable as a wild
creature, and ready to dash away or turn his weapons against me at the
slightest alarm.

It was very hard work to have to display all the confidence, but I told
myself that it was incumbent upon me as a civilised being to show this
savage a good example, and generally I'm afraid that I was disposed to
be pretty conceited, as, recalling the native words I had picked up from
our followers, I tried all that were available, pointing the while to
the deer and asking him by signs as well if he would sell or barter it
away to me for food.

My new acquaintance stared at me, and I'm afraid I did not make myself
very comprehensible. One moment he would seem to grasp my meaning, the
next it appeared to strike him that I must be a cannibal and want to eat
him when I made signs by pointing to my mouth. At last, though, the
offer of a couple of brass rings seemed to convince him of my
friendliness, and he dragged the little deer to me and laid it at my
feet.

After this we sat down together, and he began chattering at a tremendous
rate, watching my gun, pointing at the spots upon the leaves, and then
touching himself, falling down, and going through a pantomime as if
dying, ending by lying quite stiff with his eyes closed, all of which
either meant that if I had not fired at the big black my companion would
have been killed, or else that I was not on any consideration to use my
thunder-and-lightning weapon against him.

I did not understand what he meant, and he had doubtless very little
comprehension of what I tried to convey; but by degrees we became very
good friends, and he took the greatest of interest in