ore making known his conditions, desired it to be
understood that, a mistake having been committed, on that account he
would not be hard upon them. He would not punish them for what they had
done, more than to require compensation for his loss, which he at the
same time gave them to understand was wholly irreparable.

From the appearance of the horses they had killed, the hunters believed
that the animals had been left behind by some slave-trader, too merciful
to take them any farther. They had evidently been used up by a long
journey, and the chief had probably been thanked by their former owner
for allowing them to die a natural death in his dominions.

The amount of damage was at length declared by the plaintiff, who was at
the same time acting as judge.

"Tell them," said he to the interpreter, "that all I require, by way of
compensation, will be their own horses along with their guns and
ammunition."

"What!" exclaimed Groot Willem, jumping to his feet in rage, "Give them
my horse and roer? No, not for all the horses in Africa."

Hendrik was no less surprised and enraged at the attempt to extort from
them; and, seeing the folly of continuing the parley any longer, the
youths, without saying a word, walked off towards their horses,
intending to mount and ride off.

This intention was opposed by the chief and others of the tribe, when an
affray ensued, in which Groot Willem measured his strength against half
a score of the natives. In their attempt to take his gun from him,
several were hurled to the earth, and amongst them the chief himself.
He did not desire to discharge the piece. A shot could only have killed
one, while his enemies were legion.

Whether they would have conquered him without taking his life, or not,
was doubtful, had not one of the Africans, more cunning than his
fellows, adopted an ingenious expedient to terminate the struggle.
Seizing a large cone-shaped basket, used for catching fish, he ran
behind the young hunter and clapped it, extinguisher-like, over his
head. The basket was immediately laid hold of by two or three others;
by whom the giant was dragged to the earth and held there until they had
bound him with thongs of zebra hide.

Before this feat had been accomplished Hendrik had received a blow from
one of the natives that prevented him from making any resistance; and he
too was trussed up for safe keeping.

Congo had not interfered in the outrage on his masters, but on t