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I now began seriously to fear for the result. Oamo saw his advantage, and allowed Whagoo still further to exhaust his strength. "What are we to do, Harry, if our friend gets beaten?" I asked. "We must try and escape, for otherwise I fear that we shall be handed over to the victorious party," he answered. "Will they kill us?" I asked.
The Young Boy above mentioned is son to Oamo by Obariea, but Oamo and Obariea do not at this time live together as Man and Wife, he not being able to endure with her troublesome disposition. Thursday, 22nd. This morning I released Robert Anderson from Confinement at the intercession of the Master and a promise of behaving better for the future. Friday, 23rd.
In an instant Oamo, recovering himself, lifted his club in a position to receive his enemy's attack. They thus stood for another minute or more face to face, each unwilling to risk defeat by giving a fruitless blow.
The two champions then advanced to meet each other, armed with the formidable carved clubs I have described, one blow from which would, it appeared, quickly decide the contest. As they advanced slowly, they narrowly eyed each other, waiting for a favourable moment to deal the first blow. Whagoo was young and active, but Oamo appeared to possess superior strength.
The chief of the party into whose hands he had fallen was, he found, called Oamo; he appeared to be a fierce, sanguinary savage, and he felt that his own life, while he remained in the chief's power, was very insecure.
For a minute or more they stood facing each other, their eyes glaring like balls of fire, when like lightning Oamo bounded towards his antagonist and dealt a blow of force sufficient to bring an ox to the ground; but Whagoo, actively leaping on one side, avoided it, and prepared to strike in return.
I expected nothing less than torture and death; but even Oamo, savage as he was, did not look at us fiercely, as if intending to do us any harm: possibly he was so well-pleased with his victory that he was inclined to treat us more kindly than he would otherwise have done.
At all events, Oamo would not be able to ascertain whether I had gone to the north or to the south. Fortunately the water was high, so that I had the soft sand to tread on, my feet being on the margin. As fast as I could move, afraid even for an instant to step on the dry sand lest I might leave a footprint behind me, I went on.
"Not if Oamo escapes without a wound," he answered; "they will be so delighted with their victory that they will keep us as trophies. I don't like the look of things, however." Our fears were still further increased when Oamo succeeded in bringing his weapon down on Whagoo's thigh, leaping back quick as lightning to avoid the blow which the other dealt in return.
As we had no arms, and should have been unwilling to fight even had we possessed any, we were surprised at this; but Whagoo insisted that it was necessary, and we were compelled to comply. We marched on at a rapid rate till we reached a broad stream, which separated, we learned, the territory of Paowang from that of Oamo.
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