At least they were brave and loyal and even after their first
fear of the white man had worn off, fulfilled their promises without a
murmur. Once, indeed, when he chanced to have gone for a walk unarmed
and to be charged by a bull elephant, these Ogula ran at the brute with
their spears and drove it away, a rescue in which one of them lost his
life, for the "rogue" caught and killed him.
So the days went on while they paddled leisurely up the river, Alan
employing the time by taking lessons in the Asiki tongue from Jeekie, a
language which he had been studying ever since he left England. The task
was not easy, as he had no books and Jeekie himself after some thirty
years of absence, was doubtful as to many of its details. Still being a
linguist by nature and education and finding in the tongue similarities
to other African dialects which he knew, he was now able to speak it a
little, in a halting fashion.
On the fifth day of their ascent of the river, they came to a tributary
that flowed into it from the north, up which the Ogula said they
must proceed to reach Asiki-land. The stream was narrow and sluggish,
widening out here and there into great swamps through which it was not
easy to find a channel.
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