Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: May 23, 2025
"Now tell him what we want," said Charley to Aboh; "just hint that if he doesn't agree to King Sanga Tanga's demands he may expect to have his plantain groves cut down, and his village burned, and himself and his people carried off and sold to the slave traders." "Berry good reason for not saying No," observed Aboh. He forthwith addressed the king in due form.
Aboh agreed to do as we wished, at the same time he shook his head, saying, "Too long, too long." "No, no," answered Tom; "we will build a handsome short craft with plenty of beam, so that we may turn her about in any of the narrow streams through which we may have to make our way."
Once, as we were keeping along the shore, the head of a huge monster rose not ten feet from us. Aboh shouted, "Run, massa, run." His warning came only just in time. Charley, who was farthest from the water, instantly brought his rifle to his shoulder as he saw the crocodile making a dash at Tom, who was nearest to him. Aboh shouted and shrieked to scare the creature.
Harry told us that scarcely had Aboh dipped the saucepan into the water, than a crocodile poked its ugly head above the surface and made a dash at him. "I was too quick, however, and firing, hit the creature in the throat, when it slid off again into deep water," he added, "whether killed or not I cannot say, as it sank immediately."
We again went down to the lake, and were much disappointed at not seeing the canoe Aboh had promised to bring us. As it was not likely, therefore, that he would arrive that night, we made up our minds to camp at the same spot as before. There was no time to lose, and so, collecting firewood, we prepared to pass the night.
Their only regret was, that we had not some rum to give them, the taste of which they had acquired from the white traders who occasionally came up to their village. I should have said that Aboh gave us a good report of Tom, who was being well treated by the inhabitants of the village, by whom we also expected to be received in a friendly manner.
Aboh stepped behind a small tree, which afforded him some protection, and resting the barrel of the rifle against the trunk, fixed his eye on the creature. It seemed to me about to make its fatal spring, when he, and perhaps my companions and I as well, might have been destroyed.
"Then let King Sanga Tanga say, that if we are detained, he will march a large army to liberate us." Aboh fully understood our wishes. He forthwith held a long palaver with the king. The result was more satisfactory even than we had expected.
I wished that we had had our knapsacks and could have at once set off, without the pain of taking leave of King Sanga Tanga and the lovely Iguma. We told Aboh that we should like to secure the skin of the ape, but he replied that none of the young men would like the trouble of carrying it.
Several days passed by, and every morning, when we were prepared to set out, we found the village guarded as before. When, however, we left our packs behind us, we were allowed to ramble at perfect freedom. Besides Aboh and Shimbo we found a party always ready to accompany us and act as beaters.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking