out that he saw a cornfield, which sent a momentary
feeling of terror into the minds of his younger companions; but,
habituating themselves to the sight of it, they became reassured, as
they remembered that Ferodia must be far away, and that possibly the
people had never heard of a man who had made himself a bugbear to them
by his ferocious disposition and cruel character.

In an hour or so, after skirting the cornfield, they came to a river,
brown and deep, and about twenty yards wide, flowing towards the north,
and while they were hugging the thick tall spear-grass which grew along
the bank, Niani uttered a low cry, and pointed with his finger towards
something that was hidden near the bank. Kalulu retraced his steps
quickly to observe what had escaped his eyes, and he saw a canoe with
four paddles in it!

He was not long in imparting the tidings, and the party drew together
for a whispered consultation; but Moto advised strongly that they should
not expose themselves, but that they should retreat at once into the
first thicket, a piece of prudent counsel which was acted upon as soon
as intimated.

They found, about two hundred yards away from the object of their
surprise and concern, a suitable place in a dense bush, wherein they
crouched down, after they had posted Niani to observe narrowly from the
entrance for any suspicious object, for a discussion about their future
movements.

"Who do you think these people are, Kalulu?" asked Simba.

The young chief answered that he thought the tribe was that of the
Wa-liemba, and that the canoe belonged to a party of hunters from the
village, who were out looking for game.

Moto then suggested that they should wait until near midnight and get
into the canoe and float down the river. Simba and Kalulu concurred,
and thought it would be a good thing, and an easy way of reaching the
lake; but Selim and Abdullah strongly demurred to the proposition, as
the act would be one of hostility against a tribe that so far had done
nothing to them, besides being dishonest. Simba and Moto, however,
aided by Kalulu, brought such powerful arguments to bear against the two
Arab boys that they were silenced. They were, said they, escaping from
a land where every man's hand was raised against them; where a small
party like their own only invited attack from those who felt themselves
strongest, against whom, however skilful they managed their movements,
they could not expect to be alway