Niger

cattle-kraal. The beasts were ultimately frightened
off, but not before they had killed five of the cattle.
There were other wolves. Africa spoke. Africa
gossiped. The news spread about that the white
traveller had received great sums from the slave-
slati. One morning the unpleasing Sambo Sego
arrived with his horsemen to demand from Mungo
half of the immense sums paid to him by the slave-
trader. This money, he said, was the king’s right.
Probably his father was unaware of the raid, but
Mungo was only too well acquainted by this time
with the loose and indefinite authority carried by the
various members of an African royal family. He
prepared to part with half of the sum already
received from the slave-trader.
His meekness seems to have infuriated that indi¬
vidual. He intervened, and forced upon Sambo
Sego a compromise—thirty-two shillings-worth of
various kinds of European goods and a 4 donation ’
of powder and ball. Mungo comments on the entire
transaction without either abuse of Sambo or praise
of the slave-merchant. His chronicles meticulously
lack abuse.
It was the ist of February before messengers
brought to Soolo news that the war had not yet
commenced between Kaarta and Bambarra. Pos¬
sibly Mungo might succeed in penetrating through
the former country before the great Bambarran
army invaded it.
Mungo made hurried preparations to depart on
the attempt, and on February the 3rd took the east-
g.n. gy G