improbability of Kambira ever hearing what had become of his
wife, or to what part of the earth she had been transported, there was
also the difficulty of devising any definite course of action for the
chief himself, because the instant he should venture to leave the
protection of the Englishmen he would be certain to fall into the hands
of Arabs or Portuguese, and become enslaved.

Much of this Harold had not the heart to explain to him. He dwelt,
however, pretty strongly on the latter contingency, though without
producing much effect. Death, the chief replied, he did not fear, and
slavery could easily be exchanged for death.

"Alas! not so easily as you think," said Harold, pointing to Chimbolo,
whose sad story he had heard; "they will try _every_ kind of torture
before they kill you."

Chimbolo nodded his head, assenting, and ground his teeth together
fiercely when this was said.

Still Kambira was unmoved; he did not care what they did to him. Azinte
was as life to him, and to search for her he would go in spite of every
consideration.

Harold prevailed on him, however, to agree to wait until he should have
spent another month in visiting Chimbolo's tribe, after which he
promised faithfully to return and take him along with his party to the
coast.

Neither Harold nor Disco was quite at ease in his mind after making this
arrangement, but they both agreed that no other course could be pursued,
the former saying with a sigh that there was no help for it, and the
latter asserting with a grunt that the thing "wos unawoidable."

On the following day the journey of exploration was resumed. Kambira
accompanied his friends a few miles on the road, and then bade them
farewell. On the summit of an elevated ridge the party halted and
looked back. Kambira's manly form could be seen leaning on his spear.
Behind him the little village lay embosomed in luxuriant verdure, and
glowing in the bright sunshine, while songs and sounds of industry
floated towards them like a sweet melody. It was with a feeling of keen
regret that the travellers turned away, after waving their hands in
reply to a parting salute from the stalwart chief, and, descending to
the plain, pushed forward into the unknown wilderness beyond.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

CAMPING, TRAVELLING, SHOOTING, DREAMING, POETISING, PHILOSOPHISING, AND
SURPRISING, IN EQUATORIAL AFRICA.

At sunset the travellers halted in a peculiarly wild spot and encamped
under