Bastin pointed to the edge of the bush some hundreds of yards
away, where we perceived brown figures slipping about among the trees. I
suggested that we should go back to the mouth of our path, so as to have
a line of retreat open in case of necessity, and await events. So we did
and there stood still. By degrees the brown figures emerged on to the
plain to the number of some hundreds, and we saw that they were both
male and female. The women were clothed in nothing except flowers and a
little girdle; the men were all armed with wooden weapons and also wore
a girdle but no flowers. The children, of whom there were many, were
quite naked.

Among these people we observed a tall person clothed in what seemed to
be a magnificent feather cloak, and, walking around and about him, a
number of grotesque forms adorned with hideous masks and basket-like
head-dresses that were surmounted by plumes.

"The king or chief and his priests or medicine-men! This is splendid,"
said Bickley triumphantly.

Bastin also contemplated them with enthusiasm as raw material upon which
he hoped to get to work.

By degrees and very cautiously they approached us. To our joy, we
perceived that behind them walked several young women who bore wooden
trays of food or fruit.

"That looks well," I said. "They would not make offerings unless they
were friendly."

"The food may be poisoned," remarked Bickley suspiciously.

The crowd advanced, we standing quite still looking as dignified as we
could, I as the tallest in the middle, with Tommy sitting at my feet.
When they were about five and twenty yards away, however, that wretched
little dog caught sight of the masked priests. He growled and then
rushed at them barking, his long black ears flapping as he went.

The effect was instantaneous. One and all they turned and fled
precipitately, who evidently had never before seen a dog and looked
upon it as a deadly creature. Yes, even the tall chief and his masked
medicine-men fled like hares pursued by Tommy, who bit one of them in
the leg, evoking a terrific howl. I called him back and took him into
my arms. Seeing that he was safe for a while the crowd reformed and once
again advanced.

As they came we noted that they were a wonderfully handsome people, tall
and straight with regularly shaped features and nothing of the negro
about them. Some of the young women might even be called beautiful,
though those who were elderly had become corpulent. The