Part 26 (1/2)

On the fifth day they turned froo into a tributary that threaded the dark mysterious forest, whose depths had never been trodden yet by white men, whose dark retreats and soled, were the haunt of the gorilla, of pigmies, and of cannibals, dreaded o this was a looht down to its shores; that sent out huge branches in a leafy roof over the water near the banks,dark retreats, in which lurked watchful crocodiles The stir and bustle of the great river found no echo in this silent byway Nowhere was there any trace of man The forest seemed i

There seeh for a round to the toph of the tallest tree Mile after n of life, then fro on the metal deck

Compton put the wheel over, and the Okapi slid away froerous screen Then they slowed up and looked, but there was no sound and no sign fro out upon the uneasy look all around they kept on for athat spoke ofin the few acres that had been hewn out of the woods

A ring of black e-out canoe lay half in, half out the waters, a broken clay pot, a rusty hoe, and a litter of bones were gathered forlornly in one spot, and a strip of cloth fluttered from a scarred post They ran the Okapi in, and Muata, with his jackal, leapt ashore to decipher what this writing in the forestwould have shown under similar conditions, but at once vanished into the wood, with his nose to the ground, bent on the serious business of life--that of nosing out the enemy, while his master, with his favourite Ghoorka knife in his hand, rapidly inspected the ground

Instinctively they all felt the need for caution The boys had the edge taken off their rash ardour long before, but that sinister warning froain the lesson that it was necessary to be always on guard

The forest, in its silence and in its gloolanced up the river It stretched away like an avenue cut out of a solid th to the spot where the banks seeether, as if the river had ended, there was no sign of living thing

Suddenly an ani and crouched behind Muata It was the jackal, the hair on its neck erect, and its body quivering with fear, or excite report, there was a violent shaking of leaves, a short bark-like roar, and then a noise of shaking gradually decreasing

Muata had fallen back to the river's brink at the roar, but now he turned his attention once

”What was that?”

”Man-monkey,” he said quietly

”Gorilla! By Jove!” and the boys stared into the forest, and then at each other ”Perhaps he's gone to call up the others Will he come back, Muata?”

”Not he,” said Mr Huhtened as ere

What are the signs, Muata?”

”Wow! Bad--bad signs These be the bones of men;” and he turned over the ashes with his foot ”They were feho made a home here, and the ht they fell on the village, killed the men, and rested here while they feasted-- rested till the last was eaten; then with the wons tell , in horror, ”that they were cannibals?”

Mr Hume nodded his head

”The brutes,”white

”I don't wonder,” said Venning, in a whisper ”This place is enough to breed any horror”

”It will be safe to land,” said the chief, quietly

”But what of the arrow?”

”That was not shot by a man-eater It was the arrow of a river-man; maybe the same man loosened it as tied the fetish cloth to the pole, for one has been here since the ers in his mouth and produced a shrill whistle

There was no answer; and after a tis, but the associations of the place, with those grim remains of the cannibal feast, were too terrible, and they did not stay long As the Okapi resue up the sombre defile, a faint whistle sounded on the opposite bank Muata replied in the same fashi+on, and called out

Back froain, and out fro branches, shot a tiny craft, with two men in her The Okapi slowed down, and the little canoe, with many a halt, timidly drew near till the occupants could be clearly seen One--he ielded the paddle --was a young y head of frizzled wool, and wild, suspicious eyes The other, who appeared to be urging the other to more speed, was an old man, whose head was covered by an Arab fez

”Peace be with you,” said Mr Hume, in Arab