they
had ascertained that he was really dead. On finding this to be the
case, they sprang on the body, and began hacking away at it with their
knives, till, in a short time, it presented nothing but a mass of
mutilated flesh. The chief seemed highly delighted at our success, and
I took the opportunity of again urging him to allow us to go, trying to
make him understand that I would return, if he wished it, with
companions who were still better able to kill game for him than I was.

As a large portion of the day had been expended, without attempting to
seek for more game the chief led us back to the village.

"What do you think he will do?" asked Natty as we walked along. "If he
will not let us go willingly, I propose that we take French leave, as
Leo would say, and I do not think he will attempt to stop us by force."

At a little distance from the village there stood, under a grove of
trees, a hideous idol, at the top of a stout post. It was elaborately
carved, representing rather the face of an ape than that of a man, and
covered with red, yellow, and black paint. The hunters placed some of
the meat of the giraffe before it, on a block of stone; but only a small
quantity, and that of the least valuable parts. I guessed by this that
they had no great respect for their idol. "Poor people," said Natty,
"perhaps they guess that they can cheat even it, and that it will not be
able to distinguish between the best and worst parts." Natty and I were
also tempted to stop. He made signs to the chief, touching his own
ears, and then shaking his head and pointing to the ears of the idol, to
signify that it could not hear. Then he pointed to its mouth, and in
the same way tried to explain that it could not eat the meat placed
before it. Then he touched its head, to show that it could not
understand. We fancied that the chief comprehended his meaning, for he
laughed, and cast a contemptuous look at the ugly block. Although he
did this, however, in our presence, it is possible that he still had
some superstitious fear of the idol, or of the evil spirit it might have
been intended to represent.

"The poor Africans have no knowledge of the powerful, kind, and merciful
God," observed Natty. "The beings to whom they pay respect they believe
to be malign spirits, who will do them harm if they do not attempt to
propitiate them by gifts and observances."

I may observe here that we never paid the slightest respect to the n