the driver.

What did Dick Sand know of this country where treason had thrown him?
Very little; what the missionaries of the sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries had said of it; what the Portuguese merchants, who
frequented the road from St. Paul de Loanda to the Zaire, by way of
San Salvador, knew of it; what Dr. Livingstone had written about it,
after his journey of 1853, and that would have been sufficient to
overwhelm a soul less strong than his.

Truly, the situation was terrible.

CHAPTER II.

HARRIS AND NEGORO.

The day after that on which Dick Sand and his companions had
established their last halt in the forest, two men met together about
three miles from there, as it had been previously arranged between
them.

These two men were Harris and Negoro; and we are going to see now what
chance had brought together, on the coast of Angola, the Portuguese
come from New Zealand, and the American, whom the business of trader
obliged to often traverse this province of Western Africa.

Harris and Negoro were seated at the foot of an enormous banyan, on
the steep bank of an impetuous stream, which ran between a double
hedge of papyrus.

The conversation commenced, for the Portuguese and the American
had just met, and at first they dwelt on the deeds which had been
accomplished during these last hours.

"And so, Harris," said Negoro, "you have not been able to draw this
little troop of Captain Sand, as they call this novice of fifteen
years, any farther into Angola?"

"No, comrade," replied Harris; "and it is even astonishing that I have
succeeded in leading him a hundred miles at least from the coast.
Several days ago my young friend, Dick Sand, looked at me with an
anxious air, his suspicions gradually changed into certainties--and
faith--"

"Another hundred miles, Harris, and those people would be still more
surely in our hands! However, they must not escape us!"

"Ah! How could they?" replied Harris, shrugging his shoulders. "I
repeat it, Negoro, there was only time to part company with them. Ten
times have I read in my young friend's eyes that he was tempted to
send a ball into my breast, and I have too bad a stomach to digest
those prunes which weigh a dozen to the pound."

"Good!" returned Negoro; "I also have an account to settle with this
novice."

"And you shall settle it at your ease, with interest, comrade. As to
me, during the first three days of the journey I succeeded very well
in m