, 1915-10-30

three or four women and yopn9 children.
Two other visits were similarly diSappoiut-
ing, so | enlisted the services Of some river
natives and III time found the little people
all at home TO receive me. The friendship
prospered and they visited my camp in re-
turn, taking away presents of salt and iron
to have made into speNus by their bigger
brothers. Then I took a small tent and
camped with them, roamed the forest day
after day with them searching tor signs Of
okapi, tracking the giant black forest PIG,
or the elephant, or the dwarf Ituri buffalo,
a game little animal which affords most eX-
citing sport often enough at dangerously
close quarters. The intimate knowledge
possessed by the pygn'es Of the private lie
Of every animal great and small was u source
of deepest interest to me. Their powers of
tracking appear Simply marvellous till one
learns, by frequent association with them,
something of the art oLeself. A. first |
found it difficult to persuade them to pick
mp the trail as 1T were, ont once started they
become wholly absorbed in the work aud
very pretty it is to watch them. They give
Their opinion as to the age Of tracks, fresh or
o. herwise, in a low whisper, and follow on
with almost catIiko stealth, careful to nuke
no sudden movement, peerlng IN front but
missing nc. hing ON the ground. They are
art for the least sound ahead uud commu-
ncate bv almost imperceptible gestures,
without looking rouud, Ill thet they find TO
those behind such a4:-here It was lying
down, knees here, back there, here it has
dropped those leaves. When two are work
ing together The ce Is quicker than with
one. II the lender is nj fault the smallest
gestu,e tells lie man behind in which dlrec-
ton to look. The front man from the cor
uer Of his eye tells instantly II the second
man finds the track and he follows IN that
direction, and so ON. first one lending, them
the other. II both are at fault one man
trots ahead along the most likely spaces IN
the underground, while the second mnn
makes Il solt Of east round where the tracks
ceased, working like a ferret, with nose to
ground, tuning over a leaf here on feeling
with the fiat hard there for any depression
made bv the hoofs, MI the while on the alert
and Watching for any sign from the man III
trout if he can see INN. If nothing is found
on he goes, pretty sure thar the other ONE
las picked mp the tracts, Ii out OF sl9ht
of each other they communicate Iy low
whistles, short low notes, initiating those Of
a bird common in the forest. When close
to one another they beckon with the fingers
over the shou dor, or If IT is more urgent
will make II sharp tap or Two on then chest
or a little slap ON the thigh to attrocf Mt
tentIOu. Ii one OF them mas to look BACK IL
is pretty to see now carefully he first tnkes
stock OF everything III front before he slowly
turns his head 10 see what is happening,
or perhaps to answer some query from the
cIumrv white man coming close behind,
carrying his heavy gun rs uear as possible
at the ready, feeling this footsteps SO as not
to break sticks or catchSShis feet m cteepers,
and doing bis utmost not to knock ng"lnst
anything which would BRING down a shower
of drops on the dead leaves below with NOISE
enough to be heard by every animal within
a hundred Yards. If Il stick is cracked or
or a noise made the little fellows instantly
stop, stnndng on one leg If the other foot
is not down, knowing that any animal within
hearing is listening inteutly in the same
manner for some explanation of the noise.
To make "a point the toretiugsr is doubled
mp and the hand held close IN front Of the
face, while the left hand may be used to
beckon over the shoulder; or If an animal IS
seen the little fellow instantly becomes rlSli
and the rifle has to do the rest. Without
the Bambutte the sportsman III these forests
can do absolutely nothing.
1t was with heir assistance | was able to
shoot Il fine example Of the zebra-strped
variety OF the Okapi.