ld be carried off as a captive, when I heard a
shout at a little distance, and presently saw Timbo and Chickango
running towards us. They were followed by Jack, Stanley, and David, the
two boys bringing up the rear. The hunters, when they saw my friends
advancing, faced about, looking at them with glances of astonishment. I
heard them all talking together, seemingly asking each other who these
strangers could be. They had recovered their spears, which, still red
with the blood of the elephants, they held in their hands, ready to dart
at Timbo and Chickango. Seeing this, my friends halted, and placing
their muskets on the ground, held up their hands as a sign of peace,
addressing their countrymen, who quickly replied, turning their glances
every now and then at me. Again Timbo spoke to them, and this time with
greater effect than at first. The expressions of anger and fear which I
had observed in their countenances gradually wore off, and they looked
with a more kindly expression towards me. Presently they turned the
points of their spears to the ground, when my two friends advancing,
took the chief by the hand, and immediately those who held me brought me
to the front. Chickango, who had taken up the thread of the discourse,
went on speaking very vehemently, and advancing, led me out of the
throng. Timbo immediately seized my hand. "Go away--quick now, Massa
Andrew. Perhaps dey change deir mind. See! here come de captain and
Senhor Silva, and de t'ree young gentlemen. Dese niggers t'ink you
white spirit, and no dare hurt you."

By this time the rest of our party had come up, and great was the
surprise of the hunters when Senhor Silva addressed them in a language
they could understand. I do not know exactly what account he gave of
us, but the result was that we were all in a short time shaking hands,
and apparently the best of friends. They even begged that we would
accept of some of the flesh of the elephants they had killed--to be sure
it was part of what they themselves could not carry off. Our new
friends now invited us to visit them at their village, which was
situated on the summit of a hill about four or five miles off, but so
surrounded by woods that we had not seen it.

From their wild looks and manners, we were not sorry when at length they
took their departure. Timbo called them Bakeles, and gave no very
flattering description of them. We were thankful that they had not
caught sight of our