In African Forest and Jungle

by Paul B. Du Chaillu

The following day we took Andekko with us. Towards noon we were startled by the fierce barking of the dog, and heard the shrill cry of a nshiego-nkengo. Soon we came to the place, and saw Andekko looking up a tree at a young nshiego which I thought to be about a year old, and barking fiercely. He was glaring at the dog, the hair of his body erect, and was uttering sounds of defiance, not of fear. He seemed to know that he was safe where he was, and that the dog could not climb the tree.

"Let us try to capture the baby nshiego-nkengo if we can," said I to Rogala.

In the meantime Andekko kept barking at the little fellow, who kept looking at him, uttering now and then a sort of "whoe, whoe." He seemed to say to the dog, "You cannot catch me." Here we were, Rogala, Andekko, and I, at the foot of the tree, and the young nshiego-nkengo looking at us from one of its branches.

We found that from a young tree with slender branches he had succeeded in reaching the tree where he was. The only thing to be done was to watch for the time when, driven by hunger, he would come down.

In the meantime we heard far away in the distance the calls of his mother. We kept a sharp lookout for her, for though nshiegos are very shy, we were not sure that she would not attack us. She evidently thought her young one was somewhere in the forest looking for her. We spoke loud to scare her.

At last I said to Rogala: "Watch here while I go to the camp to feed Ndova, for the probability is that we shall have to sleep at the foot of the tree to-night."

I went to the camp and fed Ndova, and returned with some food and two axes. Andekko was almost exhausted from his constant barking, which had become quite hoarse and indistinct. The yellow pale face of the little nshiego-nkengo with his big eyes looked at us from his tree. The evening came, and there was no prospect of his coming down.

We slept in the forest, the little nshiego-nkengo still on the tree. "The only thing for us to do, Rogala," said I in the morning, "is to cut the tree down. Then we will watch and throw the net over him."

"That is so, Oguizi," replied Rogala; "only we must see that Andekko does not get hold of him, for he will surely strangle him."

We set to work, and soon the young tree fell with the little nshiego, and before Andekko had time to nab him, Rogala had thrown the net over him. We had quite a job to keep Andekko away, and not before Rogala had shown him a stick he had great respect for, was he quieted.