“Does the ngina attack elephants?” I asked.
“I do not think the ngina attacks elephants, Oguizi. I hope you will see and kill a ngina with ‘Bulldog’ while you are with us. There are not many in the forest.”
“We must see some nginas,” I cried.
“You will meet some,” shouted the hunter in response.
When Oshoria had finished his narrative the perspiration was fairly running down his face, he had become so excited. I did not wonder, for he remembered how the huge beasts had attacked him, and he fancied that the animal was before him and that he heard his fearful yells and tremendous roars.
I said to him: “Now fill your pipe, and I will light it with my fire-stick.” After he had rested a while I said to him: “Do nginas build houses, or any shelter whatever?”
“No,” he replied, “and if any one says that he has seen a shelter built by a ngina, he lies.”
By this time it had grown late and soon all the slaves left after bidding me good-night.
CHAPTER XVII
THE OTHER APES OF THE GREAT FOREST—OSHORIA TELLS ABOUT THE NSHIEGO MBOUVÉS—CAPTURE OF A BABY “MAN OF THE WOODS”—HIS MOTHER KILLED—CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DIFFERENT APES WITH THE VARIOUS HUMAN RACES.