Joyfully we left our old forest camp, and after an uneventful journey we reached the home of my hunters. It was time indeed. How well I slept in my little hut that night! All the things I had left behind were exactly in the same place. No one had touched them.
I had saved skins of the gazelles we had killed, and I sewed them together first; then I took what was left of my trousers and put them on the skins and marked out the pattern with charcoal. Then I cut up the skins and sewed with my big needle, and at the end of the day I had made a pair of skin trousers. I also covered my old shoes with gazelle skin.
When I had furnished myself with something to wear, we prepared to return to Chief Rotembo. All my hunters and Akenda-Mbani were to accompany me. Many bunches of plantain were collected; the men went hunting and killed an antelope for Rotembo, and the following morning we left, one canoe loaded with the skins and bones of the animals I had killed and with the birds I had stuffed.
After a pleasant trip down the Ogobai, we arrived at the village of Rotembo amid the firing of guns and the beating of the tomtoms.
The news quickly spread that the Oguizi had returned, and many people came flocking to our village. Canoe after canoe was to be seen coming from up or down the river all the time.
[Illustration: "_At the end of the day I had made a pair of skin trousers._"]
Then a great meeting took place. Rotembo was dressed in state, and made a great speech, saying how much he loved me. The crowd shouted, "Great is Rotembo, the friend of the Oguizi! Great is the Oguizi!" Tomtoms beat and guns were fired.
Then I arose, and in the midst of a profound silence I made a speech. "Rotembo," I said, "I love you and your people. When I was hungry you gave me food; when I was thirsty you gave me water. You gave me shelter and nothing was stolen from me." At these words a great shout of joy arose. The tomtoms beat furiously, and more guns were fired.
"You gave me Rogala, your faithful slave," I continued; "I bring him back to you. There are Shinshooko and Alapai also, your faithful slaves, who love you. They with their wives and children have been kind to me. There is Akenda-Mbani, whom we found in the forest. Now, Rotembo, you are my friend." (All shouted, "He is your friend!") "Never let one of these men or their wives be sold."