st of the men at the village displayed a good deal of pride, if not
taste, in the arrangement of their hair. Some wore it long and twisted
into a coil which hung down their backs; others trained and stiffened it
in such a way that it took the form of buffalo horns, while some allowed
it to hang over the shoulders in large masses, and many shaved it either
entirely, or partially in definite patterns. But the young dandy who
now approached outdid all others, for he had twisted his hair into
innumerable little tails, which, being stiffened by fillets of the inner
bark of a tree, stuck straight out and radiated from the head in all
directions. His costume otherwise was simple enough, consisting merely
of a small kilt of white calico. He was accompanied by Antonio.

"We've be come from Kambira," said the interpreter, "to tell you for
come to feast."

"All right," said Disco, rising; "always ready for wittles if you only
gives us an hour or two between times.--I say, Tony," (he had by that
time reduced the interpreter's name to this extent), "ask this feller
what he means by makin' sitch a guy of hisself."

"Hims say it look well," said Antonio, with a broad grin.

"Looks well--eh? and ask him why the women wear that abominable pelele."

When this question was put to the black dandy, he looked at Disco
evidently in surprise at his stupidity. "Because it is the fashion," he
said.

"They wear it for beauty, to be sure! Men have beards and whiskers;
women have none, and what kind of creature would woman be without
whiskers, and without a pelele? She would have a mouth like a man, and
no beard!"

The bare idea of such a state of things tickled the dandy so much that
he went into roars of laughter, insomuch that all the radiating tails of
his head quivered again. The effect of laughter and tails together was
irresistible. Harold, Disco, and Antonio laughed in sympathy, till the
tears ran down their cheeks, and then returned to the village where
Kambira and his chief men awaited them.

While enjoying the feast prepared for them, Harold communicated his
intentions and desires to the chief, who was delighted at the prospect
of having such powerful allies on a hunting expedition.

The playful Obo meanwhile was clambering over his father's person like a
black monkey. He appeared to be particularly fond of his father, and as
love begets love, it is not surprising that Kambira was excessively fond
of Obo. But Obo, be