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Thinking black; 22 years without a break in the long grass of Central ...

Thinking black; 22 years without a break in the long grass of Central ...

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CHAPTER II<br />

First Th<strong>in</strong>gs First<br />

TT7'HEREIN <strong>the</strong> reader^ f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g no<br />

advance possible^ ponders and<br />

probes Africa's great problem <strong>of</strong> " <strong>the</strong><br />

blocked roady<br />

SUCH, <strong>the</strong>n, is our ridiculous " road " over <strong>the</strong> hills,<br />

and lest peradventure we take too much for granted,<br />

I suppose I should expla<strong>in</strong> that this caravan <strong>of</strong> ours<br />

is not by any manner <strong>of</strong> means an English four-wheeler <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> gipsy sort. Really a twist<strong>in</strong>g, travell<strong>in</strong>g town it is,<br />

and <strong>the</strong>re you see more than a hundred men, women, and<br />

boys wriggl<strong>in</strong>g a<strong>long</strong> through <strong>the</strong> tall <strong>grass</strong> <strong>in</strong> Indian<br />

file—<strong>the</strong> ''crocodile" our negro facetiously calls it. A<br />

curious hotch-potch <strong>of</strong> humanity, here you have <strong>the</strong> small<br />

tradesman and <strong>the</strong> danc<strong>in</strong>g man, <strong>the</strong> musician and <strong>the</strong><br />

doctor; <strong>the</strong>se and many more all twist<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> and out<br />

with <strong>the</strong> trail <strong>in</strong> faithful " follow your leader " fashion.<br />

This doctor fellow while draw<strong>in</strong>g his rations as carrier has<br />

also <strong>the</strong> perquisites <strong>of</strong> his pr<strong>of</strong>ession among his bro<strong>the</strong>r-<br />

<strong>black</strong>s, <strong>the</strong> danc<strong>in</strong>g man likewise reckon<strong>in</strong>g that he can <strong>in</strong><br />

a spare hour "hand round <strong>the</strong> hat" for a consideration.<br />

The witchery <strong>of</strong> this man's tongue is wonderful, for he<br />

17

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