The professor raised his hand and called, in half a dozen different dialects, for silence, whereupon one of the savages presently rose to his feet and delivered himself of a few remarks, in the tones of a highly injured individual. And then followed quite a lengthy dialogue between him and the professor, at the conclusion of which the latter, turning to his friends, explained-- "This fellow, who calls himself 'Msusa, and his tribe the Luewi, informs me--so far as I can comprehend him--that they attacked us because, some time ago--I cannot make out how long--some people, wearing long beards, like ourselves, came here and stole a large number of their young men; and the Luewi, when they saw us, mistook us for those same thieves come back upon another man-stealing expedition, which they promptly determined to nip in the bud." "Quite right of them, too," agreed Sir Reginald. "But you had better explain to them, Professor, that it is unwise of them to jump to conclusions with such lightning-like rapidity as they have just exhibited, and also that white men are by no means all of them slave-dealers--which, I take it, is what those other fellows are. And, by the way, did you mention that we are tired and hungry, and wish to be guided to the river?" "Not yet," answered the professor. "Our friend 'Msusa was so busy explaining and apologising for the attack upon us that I have not yet had the chance. But I will, though, at once." And then ensued another long palaver between von Schalckenberg and the savage, its excessive length being due, as the former explained, to the difficulty experienced by the principals in understanding each other. At length, however, 'Msusa turned to his friends and explained the situation to them, with the result that the four white men were ultimately invited to enter the village, partake of refreshments, and remain there for the night, upon the understanding that a guide to the river would be furnished to them the next morning. "All right," agreed Sir Reginald. "We will go to their village and sample their hospitality. But as to remaining with them for the night, I must confess I do not at all like the idea. Our friends aboard the _Flying Fish_ will already have suffered several hours of cruel anxiety on our account, and I am unwilling to prolong that anxiety a moment longer than is necessary. Why will they not let us have a guide forthwith? Surely the river cannot be so very far away!" Von Schalckenberg tried 'Msusa again, but without success. "The fellow speaks such a barbarous dialect that I find it almost impossible to understand him," explained the professor; "but he informs me that, for some reason or other, it is out of the question for us to go forward to-day." "Hm!" commented Sir Reginald. "Do you think, Professor, that these people are to be trusted; or is there some deep scheme to get us into their power behind this reluctance to help us to go forward this evening?"