A voice from the Congo : comprising stories, anecdotes, and descriptive notes . hut, referring to them in gesture,and alternating their gossip by frequent shouts ofderisive laughter. The environment of the three negro soldiers wastypical of the country. Scarcely a day or a nightpassed without a savage orgy, followed generallyby a sanguinary combat. The forest at the back ofthe village continually echoed the discordant criesand wails of erring women being beaten by theirtyrant masters. Sickening vapours arose each day from the dew-sodden huts when the tropical sun poured forth itsfierce heat an
A voice from the Congo : comprising stories, anecdotes, and descriptive notes . hut, referring to them in gesture,and alternating their gossip by frequent shouts ofderisive laughter. The environment of the three negro soldiers wastypical of the country. Scarcely a day or a nightpassed without a savage orgy, followed generallyby a sanguinary combat. The forest at the back ofthe village continually echoed the discordant criesand wails of erring women being beaten by theirtyrant masters. Sickening vapours arose each day from the dew-sodden huts when the tropical sun poured forth itsfierce heat and blinding glare. All was squalor,and the atmosphere was deeply charged with hor-rible smells. About a month after their arrival in Basoko, Cor-poral Alakai was stricken down with fever. Onemorning, while lying in his hut, carrying on a desul-tory conversation with his companions, some nativessuddenly poked their heads through the small aper-ture which served for a door, saying: Yaka! Sen-nen-ne! Ya-uku. (Come with on the great river.) Olau! Why ? inquired Ali An Aruimi type From a bronze by the Author THE MONKEY PEOPLE 39 We go to catch fine fish. Ya-uku! Come withus, friends; come and catch fish, they answered,speaking always their own language. Said Ali Bussi, in a persuading tone to Alakai: Let us go! We can then bring you some goodfresh fish. Yes, added Tete Clever, as he placed a gourd ofwater within Alakais reach. Two days have passedsince you took food. Let us go and obtain for yougood food, O Alakai! Alakai, usually so alert and active, was now eyeballs were glazed and bloodshot from theeffects of fever, and he answered languidly: Tor! Yes, friends; go if it please you. A few minutes after their departure, Alakai, inchanging his position, caught sight of a bundle of smallleather-covered scrips of the Koran, charms frequentlyused by the Houssas as a preservative against mis-fortune. Allah! but they have forgotten their hamalat;may they meet
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookpublishernewyo, bookyear1910
