Part 30 (2/2)
It was not until the heat of the day had been spent that the expedition resumed its journey, after, an excellent meal made from the supplies Captain Villaire's party had left behind in their hurried flight So supplies were done up into bundles by Cujo, to replace those which had been lost when the natives hired by Randolph Rover had deserted
”It's queer we didn't see anything of that man and woman from the inn,” reot scared at the very start”
They journeyed until long after nightfall, ”To make up for lost time,” as Mr Rover expressed it, and so steadily did Cujo push on that when a halt was called the boys were glad enough to rest
They had reached a native village called Rowiood accommodations for all hands
The next week passed without special incident, excepting that one afternoon the whole party went hunting, bringing down a large quantity of birds, and several s an antelope, which to the boys looked like a Maine deer excepting for the peculiar for out?” said To to caaroaned over the attempted joke
”Perhaps ill meet him some day--if he's in this territory,”
put in dick ”But just now I a for nobody but father”
”And so are all of us,” said To deeper and deeper into the jungle and had to take good care that they did not become separated Yet Cujo said he understood the way perfectly and often proved his words bywhich they would soon reach, a stream, a little lake, or a series of rocks with a tiny waterfall
”Been ober dis ground round Stanley covered in his fao,” re ”But who really discovered the country, Uncle Randolph?”
”That is a difficult question to answer, dick The Portuguese, the Spanish, and the French all clailish I fancy different sections, were discovered by different nationalities This Free State, you know, is controlled by half a dozen nations”
”I wonder if the country will ever be thoroughly civilized?”
”It will take a long while, I am afraid Christianity will have to come first Many of the tribes in Africa are, youeven worse than e call heathens, orshi+p so?” asked Sarade in consequence They murder and steal whenever the chance offers, and when they think the little children too much care for them they pitch them into the rivers for the crocodiles to feed upon”
”The beasts!” murmured Tom ”Well, I reckon at that rate, civilization can't come too quick, even if it has to advance behind bayonets and cannon”
CHAPTER XXII
A HURRICANE IN THE JUNGLE
On and on went the expedition In the past es had been visited where there were more or less white people; but now they reached a territory where the blacks held full sith--but this was rarely--a Christianthem
At all of the places which were visited Cujo inquired about King Susko and his people, and at last learned that the African had passed to the southeast along the Kassai River, driving before him several hundred head of cattle which he had picked up here and there
”Him steal dat cattle,” explained Cujo, ”but him don't say dat stealin', hiested dick
”Yes, uives the people some benefit for the tax they are forced to pay,” said Toes they leaned that there was another American Party in that territory, one sent out by an Eastern college to collect specimens of the flora of central Africa It was said that the party consisted of an elderlyfellows