is gone, it is in my heart to take the wives to myself. But there
are others, Ngonyama."

"No, chief," said the Hunter, quickly. "How do you live in the
rains, chief? Is there much discomfort?"

"Wow! it is the red pig's life--mud all about; and there is much
sickness, for the people crowd together in the huts."

"I suppose we must stay and make the best of it; but the huts are
small."

"They are the best we can make."

"I don't know," said Venning, thoughtfully, with his eyes on the
opposite cliff. "I see there are trees up there. Is there a way up?"

"There is a goats'-track. What is in your mind, young wise one?"

"We will climb up that goats'-path, chief," said Venning, "with all
the men, cut down many of those trees, and roll them over the cliff
into the valley. Then will we build a great house, and the women
will gather grass and reeds for the thatching of it."

"It would be a good plan, if it could be done."

"We'll do it," said the Hunter; "but if we are to stay here, we must
bring up the boat, and you must let us have some of your men."

"All," said the chief; and that day the Okapi was brought up in
sections.

Then Venning's scheme was taken in hand, the cliff scaled, a hundred
trees felled, and rolled over as they fell, with all the branches
on. Then they returned to the valley, drew the fallen trees out,
lopped off the branches, shaped the poles, dug holes, and got the
uprights into position. Then followed the ridge-poles and the
sideposts, and the roof took shape, to the wonder of the women, a
noble span covering some thousands of square feet, with a length of
one hundred and fifty feet, and a height of fifty feet. As the
supporting rafters were laid, the women climbed up and set to work
at the thatching, using long bands of bark for the binding. And
while the women worked at the roof, the men built up stone walls,
under directions of the architects. The great house built, a smaller
one was made for the women, to serve as a general kitchen, with
great stacks of wood piled up all round for the fires. The entire
population was kept hard at it for a week, and when the work was
done, there was a grand ceremony over the wedding of Muata; and then
one morning they awoke to find a low grey canopy drawn over the
valley, from which fell a steady drizzle of rain. The next day was
like the first, and so on for nearly three months there was a
perpetual mist in the valley, a long dismal succession of le