Looking at him as he slept, I said to Rogala: "The poor fellow may have been days and weeks in the forest subsisting on nuts, berries, and fruit when he could find them, avoiding all the time the paths for fear of coming in contact with people. For you know," I continued, "that as soon as a man is out of his country, and comes out of his circle of friends belonging to another tribe, he is sure to be captured and made a slave."
"That is true," replied Rogala. "To-morrow morning we will try to learn something about him."
Andekko did not take kindly to our new-comer, and growled at him all the time. We agreed to watch in turn over the captive during the night, as his bonds were not very strong. We lighted several fires round him, and tied Andekko for fear that he might bite him.
When I awoke in the morning, I saw that he was still asleep, Andekko watching him and growling at him now and then. I looked for Rogala, but he was not there. I wondered where he had gone. Soon after I heard an axe. Rogala was cutting down a tree. After a while all became silent, and Rogala appeared before me and told me that he had cut two logs. After he had brought these inside, Rogala went to work on a "nchogo," and I guessed at once that it was to keep our prisoner captive and prevent him from running away. The nchogo is composed of two logs with holes,--the larger one to imprison the feet, the smaller for the hands.
The poor fellow was very much frightened when he saw the nchogo. He knew that it was for him. When I saw this, I said to Rogala: "This man belongs to a tribe living in the great forest, for he knows what a nchogo is. In a barren or prairie country they have no trees to make nchogos of. But we must treat our prisoner gently, give him plenty of food to show him that we care for him and that we are his friends. Then in a few days, after he has got accustomed to us, we will free him from the nchogo."
That day we gave him three meals, and ate by his side, and he saw that we had the same food.
When evening came, I said: "Rogala, you will go to sleep while I watch."
Soon both Rogala and our prisoner were asleep. Towards two o'clock I awoke Rogala for the watch and went to sleep myself.
In the morning I said: "Rogala, let us think over and see if you and I have spoken to our prisoner all the languages and dialects we know."