ere the greatest of our wonders could not save us from the
hostility of the natives. We presently encountered another tribe, who
not only at first refused to accept our friendly overtures, but even
threatened to attack us before I had time to consider another plan. I
tried the effect of my whistle, but even this failed in its effect; and
to my alarm, before I could give them an exhibition of my acrobatic
powers they had hurled one or two war spears, which whizzed by
unpleasantly close to my head. Without further ado, well knowing that
vacillation meant death, I sent half-a-dozen arrows in succession amongst
them, taking care, however, to aim very low, so as not unduly to injure
my opponents.

The hostile blacks came to a sudden halt, as they found the mysterious
spears flying round them, and then watching my opportunity, I dashed
forward right among them, and turned over and over in a series of rapid
and breathless somersaults.

I had conquered again. Do not blame the natives, for with them every
stranger is an enemy until he has proved himself a friend. Hence it is
that when white men suddenly appear among these natives they run imminent
risk of being promptly speared, unless they can make it quite clear that
no harm is intended.

Bruno ran the same risk. Incident after incident of this kind happened
almost daily, and although they involved some peril, yet they came as a
welcome break when life on the march grew too monotonous. Deliberate
treachery was very rare among the natives I came across, but it was by no
means altogether absent; and, notwithstanding all my knowledge, my wife
and I were sometimes in serious danger of our lives.

One day we came upon a tribe as usual, and after the customary
preliminaries were gone through they became apparently quite friendly. I
was careful never unduly to exhibit my steel tomahawk, which I always
kept in a kind of sheath or covering of opossum-skin, so that it might
not arouse envy; a second motive for this was to prevent its chafing my
body. I never used either stiletto or tomahawk unless absolutely
necessary, reserving both for great emergencies. I knew they could never
be replaced, so it behoved me jealously to guard such precious
possessions. I never even used my stiletto at meal-times, nor even in
cutting up animals for food, lest the blood should rust the blade and eat
it away. Many times already had it come in useful at close
quarters--notably in the case