"Why, he would swallow Natty and me up at a mouthful," said Leo, as he tried to lift up the jaws of one of the huge animals. "Take care! he will bite!" cried out Natty; and Leo, letting his stick drop, sprang back with an expression of horror in his countenance which made us all laugh. We left the blacks cutting up their prizes, for which, through Chickango, they expressed themselves duly grateful to Stanley. We found that the young ladies, aided by Timbo, had prepared a sumptuous repast of wild-fowl and venison, to which we now added some hippopotamus steaks. The meat was somewhat coarse-grained, but tasted not unlike beef. Our black friends consumed it eagerly. During supper we discussed our plans for the future. Chickango assured Senhor Silva that he hoped to obtain a messenger to proceed to the south, although he himself would not venture to go alone. He took his meals with us; indeed he was, in many respects, a civilised black. He knew perfectly well how to behave at table; and used his knife and one of the wooden forks Jack and Timbo had manufactured with perfect ease. At length our black friends, loaded with as much hippopotamus-meat as they could carry, in addition to the various articles they had received as payment, took their departure. We should have been better pleased had they continued with us, as we might then have proceeded further south without the assistance of strangers. I have hitherto said very little about Natty Page. He had greatly recovered his spirits after the loss of his father, and now showed that there was a great deal in him. He and Leo and little Bella were the life of our party. They, happily, were not troubled with thoughts of the difficulties and dangers before us, and enjoyed the present to the utmost. "Do you not think, Andrew," said Natty to me, "that if we were to build a canoe we could explore the river and make our way to the south far more easily than by land? Meantime, it would assist us in our hunting expeditions; and we should be able to go fishing or shooting birds, although I should not much like to meet with any of those fierce monsters the captain killed the other day." "An excellent idea, Natty," I answered. "I will propose it to Captain Hyslop, and I am sure he will agree with you." Stanley was well pleased with the suggestion, and it was at once agreed that we should carry it into execution. "I, however, never built a canoe, and should scarcely know how to set about it, although I understand the management of one thoroughly," said Stanley. "I must trust, therefore, to others." "No fear, captain," observed Timbo. "Jack, Chickango, and I soon do de work. First t'ing find big tree; and Senhor Silva got axes, so we soon cut it down."