I Looked Round
To See If There Was Not Any Fan From The Upper Ogowe Whom I Knew To
Go
For, but could not see one that I could on the strength of a
previous acquaintance, and on their individual
Merits I did not feel
inclined to do even this fashionable imitation embrace. Indeed I
must say that never - even in a picture book - have I seen such a set
of wild wicked-looking savages as those we faced this night, and
with whom it was touch-and-go for twenty of the longest minutes I
have ever lived, whether we fought - for our lives, I was going to
say, but it would not have been even for that, but merely for the
price of them.
Peace having been proclaimed, conversation became general. Gray
Shirt brought his friend up and introduced him to me, and we shook
hands and smiled at each other in the conventional way. Pagan's
friend, who was next introduced, was more alarming, for he held his
hands for half a minute just above my elbows without quite touching
me, but he meant well; and then we all disappeared into a brown mass
of humanity and a fog of noise. You would have thought, from the
violence and vehemence of the shouting and gesticulation, that we
were going to be forthwith torn to shreds; but not a single hand
really touched me, and as I, Pagan, and Gray Shirt went up to the
town in the midst of the throng, the crowd opened in front and
closed in behind, evidently half frightened at my appearance.
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