And nothing shall hinder you further, and nothing shall make you afraid,
For the veriest edges of evil shall challenge your joy, and no more,
And room for the right shall shine clear in your vision where wrong
was before.
Then the stones in the road shall be restful that used to be traps
for your feet,
Then the crowd shall be kind that was cruel before, and your
solitude sweet
That was want to be gloomy aforetime and gray--when the proof that ye
live
Is no longer the pain of desire, but the will--and the wit--and
the vision, to give!

The canoes were the usual crazy affairs, longer and rather wider than
the average. The bottom portion of each was made from a tree-trunk,
hollowed out by burning, and chipped very roughly into shape. The
sides were laboriously hewn planks, stitched into place with thread
made from papyrus.

Some of the men left behind were our personal servants. Counting them
and Kazimoto, there were twenty natives remaining with us, making, with
the four men lent us by the chief, an allowance of twelve to each
canoe. If we had had loads as well it would have been a problem how to
get the whole party away; but as Lady Saffren Waldon had left us
nothing but three cooking-pots, we just contrived to crowd the last man
in without passing the danger point, Fred taking charge of the first
canoe with Brown of Lumbwa and Kazimoto, and leaving Coutlass with the
other canoe to Will and me. We agreed it was most convenient to keep
the Greek and the rifle separated by a stretch of water.

There is one inevitable, invariable way of starting on a journey by
canoe in Africa. Somebody pushes off. The naked paddlers, seated at
intervals down either side, strain their toes against a thwart or a
rib. The leading paddler yells, and off you go with a swing and a
rhythmic thunder as they all bring their paddles hard against the
boat's side at the end of each stroke. Fifty--sixty--seventy--perhaps a
hundred strokes they take at top speed, and the passenger settles down
to enjoy himself, for there is no more captivating motion in the world.
Then suddenly they stop, and all begin arguing at top of their lungs.
Unless the passenger is a man of swift decision and firm purpose there
is frequently a fight at that stage, likely to end in overturned canoes
and an adventure among the crocodiles.

Our voyage broke no precedents. We started off in fine style, feeling
like old-ti