walked on ahead, troubling themselves
but little about him.

The country was very rough, and the declivity so great that a false step
would have caused him and his horse to be dashed to pieces.

As he was riding on, the shepherds being about a quarter of a mile
before him, he heard a loud screaming as from a person in great
distress. Supposing that a lion had taken off one of the shepherds, he
hurried on to ascertain what had happened. The noise had ceased, and in
a short time he perceived one of the shepherds lying among the long
grass near the road, and concluded that the man was dead; but when he
came close to him the shepherd whispered to him to stop, telling him
that a party of armed men had seized upon his companion and shot two
arrows at him. While considering what to do, he saw at a little
distance a man sitting upon the stem of a tree, and also the heads of
six or seven more who were crouching down among the grass, with muskets
in their hands. It being impossible to escape, he rode forward towards
them, hoping that they were elephant hunters. By way of opening the
conversation he inquired if they had shot anything; but in answer one of
them ordered him to dismount, and then, as if recollecting himself,
waved with his hand as a sign that Park might proceed. He had ridden
some way when they shouted to him again to stop, and told him that the
King of the Foulahs had sent them to carry him to Fooladoo. Without
hesitating, Park turned and followed them.

They had reached a dark part of the wood when one of them observed in
the Mandingo language, "This place will do," and immediately snatched
his hat from his head. Feeling that resistance was useless, he allowed
them to proceed till they had stripped him quite naked. While they were
examining their plunder, Park begged them to return his pocket compass;
but, on his pointing to it as it lay on the ground, one of the banditti
cocked his musket, swearing that he would shoot him if he presumed to
take it. After this some of them went away with his horse, and the
remainder stood considering whether they should leave him quite naked or
allow him something to shelter him from the sun. Humanity at last
prevailed, and they returned the worst of his two shirts and a pair of
trousers; one of them also threw back his hat, in the crown of which he
kept his memorandums--probably the reason why they did not wish to keep
it.

Here he was in the midst of a vast wilder