Mandingo in front of Tamboura half turned his head to speak. "Those Km bastards are craven cowards. They have sold their spirits to the white man for strong drink. Cowards they are, not hunters. All they know is to paddle canoes." He paused for a moment and his hand groped in the darkness for Tamboura's. "No, do not be afraid, Little Himter. My name is Omo. In my village I was the apprentice to the witch doctor and already I know much magic. Now you will be quiet and you wiU sleep and not be afraid."
"I fear only one thing." Tamboura felt somewhat reassured by the Mandingo's words and his sobbing subsided to a whimper.
"And what is that?" M'dong asked.
"That the big man with the red beard will—" Despite himself Tamboura broke into sobs again. "—^that he will eat those which I have tomorrow morning."
"Then fear no more." Omo managed to laugh despite his own fear and discomfort. "Think you that they would be taking us across the water to be breeders of men if they were to despoil us of those very things which would make us so?"
M'dong, who was himself fearful, found courage in the Mandingo's words. "Ho, ho," he laughed himself, echoing Omo's laughter, "Omo is right, Tamboura. The Knis were just trying to frighten us. See, Little Hunter, we have not been harmed. 'Tis true that this place stinks like the armpits of an old woman; 'tis true that these boards are hard and my legs already ache from the irons; 'tis true that your butt makes a hard lump against my stomach and that the fellow
behind me forces himself up against me, but do not despair. Little Hunter. We are not women that we should weep and wail and demean ourselves."
"You speak words of wisdom," Omo replied. "What is your name? I would know you for you are brave."
"My name is M'dong and he between us is Tamboura."
"Then sleep, M'dong and Tamboura. And I will give you dreams of a fair land, watered by a broad river, abounding with beasts that are awaiting your spear. Or I will give you dreams of beautiful women, taken at the full of the moon."
"May I have those?" Tamboura asked. His sobbing had Stopped.
"You may. Little Hunter, but if I give you those dreams, you must promise me one thing." Omo managed another laugh which sounded almost sacrilegious amid the univeral moaning.
"And what shall I promise you, O Giver of Dreams?"
"That in your dream, you do not think I am the woman you are holding in your arms."
It was M'dong'« turn to laugh. "Ay, but you would be sorry, Omo. Take my advice and give him dreams of wild beasts and spears. It would be safer for you."
Whether it was Omo's magic or his own natural recuperative ability from mental as well as physical pain, Tamboura slept on the hard boards with his feet chained, an iron collar pinching his neck and the sweaty bodies of his companions pressed tightly against him. He slept in the heat and the reeking miasma that rose from hundreds of beslimed bodies. Sometime during the night the air freshened and a breeze came through the opened ports. There was a rattle of chains as the arichors were hoisted. The rocking of the ship increased. Africa receded to a dim dark line on the horizon i and then vanished. t
chapter viii
Tamboura had slept only fitfully in the new and strange surroundings. Despite Omo's boasted witchcraft, his dreams were not of beautiful maidens under the tamarisk bushes but rather of discomfort from sleeping without his pillow of wood, trying to adjust his legs so that the irons would not chafe him, and shifting his cramped body to accommodate it to the pressin-e of Omo's body in front and M'dong's at his back. AH the men were lying on their right side and they discovered that slipping their right arms under the necks of the men in front of them eased their neighbor's head as well as their own arms. Their left arms lay stretched alongside their body or across the man in front of them. Their position was the result of an eflBcient study made in Liverpool to determine the minimum space
"I fear only one thing." Tamboura felt somewhat reassured by the Mandingo's words and his sobbing subsided to a whimper.
"And what is that?" M'dong asked.
"That the big man with the red beard will—" Despite himself Tamboura broke into sobs again. "—^that he will eat those which I have tomorrow morning."
"Then fear no more." Omo managed to laugh despite his own fear and discomfort. "Think you that they would be taking us across the water to be breeders of men if they were to despoil us of those very things which would make us so?"
M'dong, who was himself fearful, found courage in the Mandingo's words. "Ho, ho," he laughed himself, echoing Omo's laughter, "Omo is right, Tamboura. The Knis were just trying to frighten us. See, Little Hunter, we have not been harmed. 'Tis true that this place stinks like the armpits of an old woman; 'tis true that these boards are hard and my legs already ache from the irons; 'tis true that your butt makes a hard lump against my stomach and that the fellow
behind me forces himself up against me, but do not despair. Little Hunter. We are not women that we should weep and wail and demean ourselves."
"You speak words of wisdom," Omo replied. "What is your name? I would know you for you are brave."
"My name is M'dong and he between us is Tamboura."
"Then sleep, M'dong and Tamboura. And I will give you dreams of a fair land, watered by a broad river, abounding with beasts that are awaiting your spear. Or I will give you dreams of beautiful women, taken at the full of the moon."
"May I have those?" Tamboura asked. His sobbing had Stopped.
"You may. Little Hunter, but if I give you those dreams, you must promise me one thing." Omo managed another laugh which sounded almost sacrilegious amid the univeral moaning.
"And what shall I promise you, O Giver of Dreams?"
"That in your dream, you do not think I am the woman you are holding in your arms."
It was M'dong'« turn to laugh. "Ay, but you would be sorry, Omo. Take my advice and give him dreams of wild beasts and spears. It would be safer for you."
Whether it was Omo's magic or his own natural recuperative ability from mental as well as physical pain, Tamboura slept on the hard boards with his feet chained, an iron collar pinching his neck and the sweaty bodies of his companions pressed tightly against him. He slept in the heat and the reeking miasma that rose from hundreds of beslimed bodies. Sometime during the night the air freshened and a breeze came through the opened ports. There was a rattle of chains as the arichors were hoisted. The rocking of the ship increased. Africa receded to a dim dark line on the horizon i and then vanished. t
chapter viii
Tamboura had slept only fitfully in the new and strange surroundings. Despite Omo's boasted witchcraft, his dreams were not of beautiful maidens under the tamarisk bushes but rather of discomfort from sleeping without his pillow of wood, trying to adjust his legs so that the irons would not chafe him, and shifting his cramped body to accommodate it to the pressin-e of Omo's body in front and M'dong's at his back. AH the men were lying on their right side and they discovered that slipping their right arms under the necks of the men in front of them eased their neighbor's head as well as their own arms. Their left arms lay stretched alongside their body or across the man in front of them. Their position was the result of an eflBcient study made in Liverpool to determine the minimum space
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