ALARM OF MY HUNTERS AT MY ABSENCE--ROGALA SETS OUT TO SEARCH FOR
ME--HIS SUPERSTITIOUS TERRORS--CONSULTS HIS OGANA, OR IDOL--FINDS MY
TRACES AT LAST AND FOLLOWS ME TO THE VILLAGE
MEANTIME, as I did not return to our camp, my hunters became greatly
alarmed. They set off in different directions in the forest in search
of me. Rogala took Andekko with him, thinking that the dog might scent
me, and also Ndova.
He slept in the forest that night, and at daylight he started again
and kept thinking all sorts of things as he walked along. He wondered
if I had left him for good, and gone back to the moon or vanished into
the air. If so, what would Rotembo say when he returned without me? He
dreaded his chief's wrath. Then he thought that if I was displeased
with him, all would be over with him, for I would send all sorts of
evil upon him. Such thoughts crowded upon his mind, one after another.
But soon he said to himself: "How can the Oguizi be angry with me? Have
we not eaten together? Did he not shake hands with me before he left
the camp? Did he not say, 'Take good care of Ndova and Andekko'?" These
thoughts reassured him, and gave him new hopes and courage.
After this he seated himself on the ground, took his ogana out of his
bag, and putting it in front of him, he spoke to her thus: "Ogana, you
know how much I love you; tell me where is the Oguizi. Tell me if he
is angry with me. Please, please, show me the way in the forest where
I can find him. Do, ogana, do, ogana." Suddenly a smile came over his
face. Ogana had said to him that he would find me. Then putting back
his precious ogana in his bag, he continued to seek for me with the
dog, Andekko, and Ndova, who stood on his shoulder and now and then
wandered in the forest.
Fears succeeded hopes in spite of his ogana. Had the Oguizi left him,
and seen all he wanted to see in the big forest, and gone back to the
"Land of the Oguizis"? His superstitious mind began to brood again. He
had the same belief in regard to me that all the people had, and he
was seized with a great fear. Had I changed shape, and was I wandering
in the forest as an elephant, antelope, leopard, or as a tiny insect?
Perhaps I had taken the shape of a bird and was following him.
At this thought he looked round to see if he could discover any birds
on the trees near him, and saw a big one looking down upon him. He was
filled with fear, and said: "Oguizi, if you have taken the shape of
that bird, look into my heart and you will see that I love you." Then
he took some of the food he had with him, and left a great part of it
for the bird, and continued his way, looking now and then up at the
branches of the trees to see if the bird was still following him. Then
hearing "Hi-Hi-Hi," a noise made by a peculiar species of grasshopper,
he thought I might have taken that shape, so I could not be seen by him.
Once more he took his ogana from his bag and invoked her aid. Still he
went on his march in search of me, his mind perfectly bewildered with
different thoughts. When, lo! to his supreme joy, he discovered some of
the marks I had made upon the bark of trees, broken off branches, and
large heaps of leaves which I had laid along the path. After this he
discovered that I had left the path and gone into the forest; and again
he lost all traces of me. He stopped and talked to Andekko and said:
"Andekko, we have lost the Oguizi. Perhaps he is gone forever. Perhaps
he is in the forest. Let us find him. Help me, Andekko, to find him."
Andekko looked into his face and barked. He seemed to know what
Rogala said to him. But soon after this he found my traces again, and
followed them to the village where I was.
[Illustration: "_When I saw him, I came towards him, and in an instant
we were in each other's arms_."]
Suddenly the villagers heard a voice outside of the stockade asking:
"Is the Oguizi here?"
A number of voices answered: "Yes, the Oguizi is here with us, and
slept in our village last night."
Then they opened the door. The man was Rogala, followed by Andekko, and
having Ndova on his shoulder. I was at the other end of the street.
When I saw him, I came towards him, and in an instant we were in each
other's arms, to the great astonishment of the people of the village,
who were mute with wonder at our outburst of friendship. Rogala
shouted, "We are men! we are men!"
Andekko gave vent to barks of joy, leaping round me, and Ndova jumped
from Rogala's shoulder upon mine, uttering the peculiar sounds which
showed his pleasure in seeing me again.
After we were seated Rogala recounted to me what I have already told,
and at the conclusion of his story he whispered to me: "Oguizi, I hope
you have not told where we live in the forest." I whispered, "No;" and
after a while the Bakalais crowded round Rogala and asked him all kinds
of questions about me.