So as the Mazitu furnished us with an
escort and plenty of bearers for the first part of the road and,
thanks to Sammy's stewardship in the corn-pit, we had ample trade
goods left to hire others later on, we made up our minds to risk the
longer journey.
As it turned out this was a wise conclusion, since although it took
four weary months, in the end we accomplished it without any accident
whatsoever, if I except a slight attack of fever from which both Miss
Hope and I suffered for a while. Also we got some good shooting on the
road. My only regret was that this change of plan obliged us to
abandon the tusks of ivory we had captured from the slavers and buried
where we alone could find them.
Still, it was a dull time for me, who, for obvious reasons, of which I
have already spoken, was literally a fifth wheel to the coach. Hans
was an excellent fellow, and, as the reader knows, quite a genius in
his own way, but night after night in Hans's society began to pall on
me at last, while even his conversation about my "reverend father,"
who seemed positively to haunt him, acquired a certain sameness.
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