of the fight with the alligator and the
killing of the cannibal chief who owned the white girls.

The chief of the tribe I am discussing saw me using my tomahawk one day,
and eagerly asked me to make over the implement to him as a gift. I
courteously told him that I could not do so. He seemed somewhat
disappointed at my refusal, but did not appear to bear me any ill-feeling
in consequence. The blacks, by the way, seldom cut down trees except for
spears, and the reason for this is very curious. They imagine the tree
to be a thing of life, and when they are forced to cut one down, quite a
religious ceremony is held, and profuse apologies made to the tree for
taking its life.

They never even take a strip of bark right round, knowing that this will
kill the tree; they always leave a little bit of connecting bark.

As some reason for the refusal of my tomahawk was expected, I told the
chief that it was part of my life--indeed, part of my very being, which
was perfectly true. I also worked on the chief's superstitions, assuring
him earnestly that if I parted with the weapon it would so anger the
spirits as to bring about a terrible curse in the country. The tomahawk
I declared was a direct gift to me from the Sun itself, so how could I
part with it? I had thought of offering it, curses and all, but the risk
of prompt acceptance was too great.

That night Yamba warned me that trouble was impending. For myself I
never knew, and I suppose she read the signs among the men and got
certain definite information from the women. We therefore slept some
miles away from the encampment in a makeshift gunyah built of boughs, in
front of which the usual fire was made. After we had retired to rest,
Yamba woke me and said that she detected strange noises. I immediately
sprang to my feet and looked all round our little shelter. It was much
too dark for me to see anything distinctly, but I fancied I heard
retreating footsteps. Utterly at a loss to account for this strange
occurrence, and fearing that some danger threatened us, Yamba and I
covered in the front of the shelter, and then quietly retired into the
bush, where we lay hidden without a fire until morning. When we returned
to our shelter it was broad daylight, and, as we half expected, we found
three formidable spears buried in the sides of our little hut. Three
others were stuck in the ground near the fire, clearly proving that an
attempt had been made upon our lives