However The Old
Gentleman Was Not To Be Put Off, And After An Unsuccessful Attempt
To Sell Me His Cooking-
Pots, which were roughly made out of clay, he
made energetic signs to me that if I would wait he
Had got something
that he would dispose of which Gray Shirt said was "good too much."
Off he went across the street, and disappeared into his hut, where
he evidently had a thorough hunt for the precious article. One box
after another was brought out to the light of a bush torch held by
one of his wives, and there was a great confabulation between him
and his family of the "I'm sure you had it last," "You must have
moved it," "Never touched the thing," sort. At last it was found,
and he brought it across the street to me most carefully. It was a
bundle of bark cloth tied round something most carefully with tie
tie. This being removed, disclosed a layer of rag, which was
unwound from round a central article. Whatever can this be? thinks
I; some rare and valuable object doubtless, let's hope connected
with Fetish worship, and I anxiously watched its unpacking; in the
end, however, it disclosed, to my disgust and rage, an old shilling
razor. The way the old chief held it out, and the amount of dollars
he asked for it, was enough to make any one believe that I was in
such urgent need of the thing, that I was at his mercy regarding
price. I waved it off with a haughty scorn, and then feeling
smitten by the expression of agonised bewilderment on his face, I
dashed him a belt that delighted him, and went inside and had tea to
soothe my outraged feelings.
The chiefs made furious raids on the mob of spectators who pressed
round the door, and stood with their eyes glued to every crack in
the bark of which the hut was made. The next door neighbours on
either side might have amassed a comfortable competence for their
old age, by letting out seats for the circus. Every hole in the
side walls had a human eye in it, and I heard new holes being bored
in all directions; so I deeply fear the chief, my host, must have
found his palace sadly draughty. I felt perfectly safe and content,
however, although Ngouta suggested the charming idea that "P'r'aps
them M'fetta Fan done sell we." As soon as all my men had come in,
and established themselves in the inner room for the night, I curled
up among the boxes, with my head on the tobacco sack, and dozed.
After about half an hour I heard a row in the street, and looking
out, - for I recognised his grace's voice taking a solo part followed
by choruses, - I found him in legal difficulties about a murder case.
An alibi was proved for the time being; that is to say the
prosecution could not bring up witnesses because of the elephant
hunt; and I went in for another doze, and the town at last grew
quiet.
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