The time arrived when the little njegos were able to follow their mother, and as they grew older they understood every day, more and more, the ways of the njegos.
One day, one of the little njegos pounced upon a ncheri (gazelle), and when his little brother and sister came to enjoy the prey with him, he growled fiercely, for he did not want them to have any of it.
But Mamma Njego made peace among them, tore the poor ncheri into pieces, and all three had a peaceful meal, while she was looking on. After they were satisfied, she ate the rest, and then, as the day was soon to dawn, she returned to her lair with the little ones.
Her mate was waiting for her. She said to him: “One of the little ones has killed a ncheri. Soon they will be able to take care of themselves. Then we shall not have to work so hard. Look at them, and at their little muzzles and paws, red with blood.”
Time went on, and the little njegos had grown big, and were able to hunt for themselves, and finally left their parents. By this time almost all the animals for a long distance round the land of njegos had fled away to escape the fate of those who had been eaten up. The kambis, the ncheris, and other animals would say to their kindred, “The njegos have come to our land; let us migrate to some other parts of the great forest.”
So the old njegos starved. Night after night they had no prey. The big one said to his mate, “We must leave this country if we do not wish to die of hunger.”
“Yes, let us leave this horrid country,” she replied. “See how thin we have become for want of food.” And they looked at each other and saw their ribs showing through their beautiful spotted skins.
They departed, but, as the forest was depopulated for miles around, they got a very scanty subsistence, just enough to sustain life.
They came, indeed, to a worse country still, for the formidable bashikouay ants had been in the land a few days before in countless millions, and their vast army had attacked all the living creatures that came in their way, and devoured many, and all the rest had fled for their lives, and no creature walking or crawling on earth was to be seen. Hard indeed was the lot of the two njegos. Death by starvation stared them in the face.
In that plight, Mrs. Njego said to her mate: “Now that we have raised our young, let us separate for good, according to the custom of our kind. When we are far apart, we shall get food more easily.”