his was an addition of his own that we
had not thought of.

Just as he was speaking the king with a number of his wives came in to
know what was the cause of the noise. When Aboh told him the same story
he darted off with great speed, calling on his son and the rest of the
people to beat a retreat from the infected place, and out they all
rushed helter skelter, Tom hastening them by another series of shrieks
and cries. After this we were left unmolested for the remainder of the
night, although Tom once in each watch shrieked and shouted, as he said,
"Just to keep the people from forgetting us."

Though no one came into the house for several days after this, Aboh was
allowed to go out and purchase provisions for us, which we were
frequently able to do, with some of the beads and trinkets we possessed.

At length one day he came back, looking very much alarmed, saying that
the king himself was taken ill, and having declared that some one had
bewitched him, had sent for the witch-doctor to find out who it was, and
if the rascally doctor fixed on one of us we should have to drink the
Mboundow poison.

Of course we all declared that we would do no such thing, and laughed at
Aboh.

"But, I tell you what, perhaps they'll make you or your brother, or one
of the rest of your people do so," observed Charley, "the wisest thing
you can do is for you all to come to us to-night and we will fight our
way out of the village."

Aboh agreed, fully believing what Charley said; indeed, there was every
probability that he or some of his people would be fixed on by the
witch-doctor, when they would to a certainty be put to death.

"I'll make them suppose that I'm as bad as the king, or worse," said
Tom.

As soon as it was evening Tom repeated his howls and shrieks, with even
more vehemence, if possible, than before. Just about midnight, when all
the people were in bed, Aboh sallied forth. We anxiously waited his
return. At last he came back with Shimbo, followed by a dozen of his
tribe, who had managed to possess themselves not only of bows and
arrows, but of spears and hangers, and were altogether very well armed.
Not a moment was to be lost. We had strapped on our knapsacks, and
shouldering our muskets we sallied forth as noiselessly as possible.
Fortunately no dogs barked, nor, as far as we could tell, had any of the
inhabitants heard us. Not a light was burning in any of the houses.
The king and his witch-doctor were pro