The course chosen, beginning on the beach south of Batanga, was more
than seventy miles from the Campo River northward to the Balimba
Country.
Then Tortoise went away, going everywhere to give directions, and
returned to his village. He sent word secretly to all the Tortoise
Tribe to call them. When they had come very many of them together,
he told them, "I have called my friend Mbalanga for a race. I know
that he can surpass me in this race, unless you all help me in my
plan. He will follow the sea-beach. You all must line yourselves
among the bushes at the top of the beach along the entire route all
the way from Campo to Balimba. When Mbalanga, coming along, at any
point, looks around to see whether I am following, and calls out,
'Kudu! where are you?' the one of you who is nearest that spot must
step out from his place, and answer for me, 'Here!'"
Thus he located all the other tortoises in the bushes on the entire
route. Also, he placed a colored mark on all the tortoises, making
the face of every one alike. He stationed them clear on to the place
where he expected that Antelope would be exhausted. Then he ended,
taking his own place there.
Antelope also arranged for himself, and said, to his wife, "My
wife! make me food; for, Kudu and I have agreed on a race; and it
begins at seven o'clock in the morning."
When all was ready, Antelope said, to (the one whom he supposed was)
Kudu, "Come! let us race!" They started. Antelope ran on and on,
and came as far as about ten miles to the town of Ubenji, among the
Igara people. At various spots on the way Tortoise apparently was lost
behind; but as constantly he seemed to re-appear, saying, "I'm here!"
At once, Antelope raced forward rapidly, pu! pu! pu! to a town named
Ipenyenye. Then he looked around and said, "Where is Kudu?" A tortoise
stepped out of the bushes, saying "Here I am! You haven't raced."
Antelope raced on until he reached the town of Beyâ. Again looking
around, he said, "Where is Kudu?" A tortoise stepped out, replying,
"I'm here!"
Antelope again raced, until he reached the town Lolabe. Again he
asked, "Where is Kudu?" A tortoise saying to himself, "He hasn't
heard anything," replied, "Here I am!"
Again Antelope raced on as far as from there to a rocky point by the
sea named Ilale-ja-moto; and then he called, "Wherever is Kudu?" A
tortoise ready answered, "Here I am!"
From thence, he came on in the race another stretch of about ten
miles, clear to the town of Bongaheli of the Batanga people. At each
place on the route, when Antelope, losing sight of Tortoise, called,
"Kudu! where are you?" promptly the tortoise on guard at that spot
replied, "I'm here!"
Then on he went, steadily going, going, another stretch of about twenty
miles to Plantation Beach. Still the prompt reply to Antelope's call,
"Kudu, where are you?" was, "I'm here!"